Limitless Spite
by EroBerries
Summary: There were two things I knew about Cross Academy: One, I was here against my own will. And two, it had a deep, deep secret. OCX?
1. Beginning

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or its characters. I do however own Annabelle Locke.**

Cross Academy.

I flipped the brochure over and read the back, but there was only a phone number and an email in case someone needed to notify the school ahead of time before their arrival. I didn't doubt my grandmother skipped that whole procedure.

"I still don't understand your decision in taking me to this," I paused, thinking of the right word for the grand picture in front of my eyes, "Place. You're aware that I'll just find someway to worm my way out, right?" I said bluntly, putting the brochure down in my lap and looking out the window. A blur of green covered both sides. This road was particularly deserted, a difference between the highly packed roads we'd quickly run through earlier this morning.

She didn't regard me with hot glares like she normally did, but I saw, from the corner of my eyes, her fingers clench harder on the steering wheel. "Cut the crap, Anna. We both know that this was going to happen --since you bloody don't know how to keep your hands to yourself. Think it was cool, did you? Well, fortunately for you this was your punishment instead of going to state prison!"

"I don't think they'd have the guts to throw me in jail, actually." I said, looking at her sourly.

My grandmother wasn't a beautiful lady, nor would I even chance the word pretty. Wrinkles flooded her flesh, weaving into each other. Her off balance head fit on a series of sinking skin: a turkeys neck. Her thinning gray hair was pulled back from her face and tied in a messy bun but small strands stuck out at her forehead and clung to the sweaty translucent skin that shone so brightly in the sunlight. She had chosen to wear a mixture of a pink blouse and brown khaki pants, both unfitting to her body's proportions.

For a moment she brought her piercing ice blue eyes to my face and glared, licked her thin pasty lips, and turned back. "Stop with the attitude."

"What attitude? I'm simply saying that--"

"I know what you are saying! You are being stubborn and miserable. Why can't you just be glad that they didn't choose to throw you in some messed up foster home?" She turned her hand violently; the car swerved around a corner. I leaned against the door to stop myself from falling over. "You know how easily they could have taken you away, Annabelle! Do you not think this is serious? Do you think this is some kind of joke? I am tired of the way you act. Why can't you bloody be serious once in awhile instead of throwing up those stupid defences. Why can't you just be a normal teenage girl?"

"I'm sorry that _normal_ doesn't come with the package!" I shouted, then suddenly bit back the urge of screaming a profanity at her. Arguments with this woman always tended to escalade to avalanche-calling voices, and I knew that if I didn't hold back, we'd be riding the Volkswagen of death. "But that doesn't mean you can just ship me off to some god awful school and pray that I learn how! I hate how you're pressuring me into this."

"_Pressuring you into this_?!" She shrieked, eyes wide and bulging. She tried to keep an effort on seeing the road instead of her rising anger. "Anna you--"

"I'm very much aware of what I did."

"Then you'd know that that sort of thing doesn't go without consequences! I'm lucky that you're sitting right here with me instead of rotting behind bars with some crazy, nut-job women! Have you ever tried not being so ungrateful?"

"Tried and failed," I said, leaning my head against the window pane; the leather seat crackled beneath me. "Maybe you'd know that if you didn't jump to conclusions every twenty seconds."

"Don't start with that. You know I listen to you."

I stifled a snort. "Yes, of course. How could I have forgotten how caring and nurturing you are? My mistake."

For a moment she glowered at me, long and hard and threateningly. Then she leaned back in the seat, shook her head, and went utterly silent. And that was the rest of the ride there, filled with unspoken anger and tension. Sometimes I just wanted to turn and argue with her more, other times I could feel the anger rush from my body only to be, in a few minutes, replaced by new hot fury. Once I resorted to breathing deeply in order to calm myself, I found that I was lost in the scenery out my window, and watched boringly as the same thick trees with sparring branches passed by, turning into a broad line of color.

We arrived sooner then I would have expected. --not that the hours by plane ride and travelling by car since morning were expected to be more worn out and lengthy. I just believed we'd arrive somewhere between midnight to early next morning by the speed my grandmother rode at. Surprisingly, when I looked at the flashing green clock lodged beneath the radio, it read 6: 30pm. I watched the sign indicating that Cross Academy was just around the bend whisk by.

A numbing feeling entered my stomach when I noticed the beginnings of the school take form before my eyes, and I instantly looked to the brochure to refrain from complaining again. My grandmother had gotten a mouthful last night when she'd randomly pulled out the tickets to Japan and told me I was going to some school for the wealthy, trying to make me feel better when she explained I wouldn't have to rent an apartment because they had dormitories. I'd done what every other teenager would do when they were told that they were flying to some other country to take part in some other school and have to say goodbye to from all the friends they had grouped up back home: I screamed and slammed the door to my room.

"You know, I wouldn't be surprised to find out that all the day class students are jealous of the night class." I had flipped the brochure open and started scanning it with my eyes, hopefully, in some sane way, trying to dispel the nervousness itching in my system. "Says here only the elite students are in the night class. Who, in god's name, would want to have school at night? I'd rather jump off a ten story building and meet death then screw up my sleeping habits again."

"Oh stop that." My grandmother scolded, plucking the brochure from my hands and settling it on the dashboard. "You won't have to worry about that, anyway. It's not like you'd ever make it to elite quality."

"Thank-you. I appreciated that." I reached over and snatched back the brochure, adding: "I was reading that, by the way."

When I hesitated to compare the look of the school to the picture that had been imprinted on the brochure, I knew that I was defeated. The old woman had successfully dragged me here. The school looked more like a building that had been built in the early 1900's rather than your average high-school or university. It was cathedral-like, smoothed and elderly, anciently white-washed with Greek pillars welcoming beautifully to the front doors. I suddenly felt as if I had gone back in time, but the faint glow of a light cascading out one of the high windows told me that I was still in a time where electricity had already been discovered, like, for example, my Ipod. Speaking of which, I flicked through my play list and picked out a song I knew would calm my nerves.

My grandmother yanked out one of my earphones, and before I could protest, she pointed an old finger out the windshield. I barely noticed anything else, the building was filling my universe. We were running over a small bridge, on either side a mass of water. A quick glance around and I could see the faint sculptures of the two dormitories: night and day. Both were obscured in thick foliage. My stomach only dropped more, weighed out by my fear of being in a new environment.

When the car halted, I had already gotten the just of Cross academy's layout. It wasn't just because I had, in my time of panicking, read over every square inch of the brochure in my hand. The road was forked outside the school, two paths leading to the dormitories. A small downtown area was just across the road we'd crossed to get here, and we were allowed to visit on lunches or on weekends, but never at night. Actually, by the looks of it, the day class was never allowed out at night. They were supposed to be in their dorms by the time the sun went down. Which was soon, I thought looking at the orange milked sky, a thin layer of purple laying low along the horizon. The sun was a neon drop of orange light against the infamous dramatic-backdrop.

"To be honest," I started, and suddenly self-conscious, I flipped open the sun visor and checked myself out in the mirror, "I think they have too many rules. I mean, no wandering at night? What, are we prisoners or something?"

With me reflecting back in the mirror, I could resentfully and regrettably see the fear in my eyes. My pupils were large, pitch black against the bright turquoise color of my iris's. My skin was pale, whiter then everyone I knew back home, but I could safely say that that was because I was anaemic, so my excuse for not having a tan never resulted in going to a salon, just scolding's about how I should pop a few iron tablets. My long hair was unnaturally black like a raven's wing, and styled in the way of the, as people back home in America labelled, scene kids. I had an abnormal love for eye make-up, and thanks to my trusty ten dollar lipstick, my lips were constantly paled.

I leaned back, adjusting the two layered skirt held together at my waist by two belts and thought once that maybe the belly exposure from my white tank-top would be a bad impression for the principle…or whatever the hell they called themselves here. But the glinting sphere lodged in my belly button lured me away from those thoughts, and I gave up thinking that even if I wore a suit, my make-up would repel everyone.

"Quit talking and get out of the car, Annabelle. The chairman is coming, and it would be rude if I talked to him without you by my side. And for your information, I have scheduled this ahead of time. So stop giving me that look." My grandmother pulled off her seatbelt and climbed elderly-like from the car. The opening gap let in a warm breeze that smelt strongly of pine, almost like a camping ground. I climbed out nonchalantly, hoping to god that someone would whisk me from my spot.

No one did.

Finally I turned and, on the other side of the car beside my grandmother, was a man. He didn't look as old as I thought a chairman would be. His skin was tight over his face, not a hint of wrinkles anywhere. The only thing principle-like about him was his thin spectacles and even then they were in a modern fashion. I frowned. I would have enjoyed chuckling at the expense of my new principle's looks. Now I was utterly defeated. I waved casually when I came up beside the old woman, and he returned it with a smile and a gentle bow.

"Good evening chairman Cross," My grandmother said, polishing up her formal voice. I knew it was just an act and that as soon as she got in the car the appeasing appearance of her elderly face would crumble and turn into that of a worn down, haggard witch. She waved at me violently, "Go get your luggage, Anna."

Rolling my eyes, I dragged my feet around to the trunk. She had already opened it before she came out, so it took little effort to throw up the beaten silver colored metal and face my two bags of clothes and books and other necessities I thought I'd need. I withdrew them, plopped them down beside her, and chewed the inside of my cheek.

"You must be Annabelle Locke," The chairman greeted. He and my grandmother had obviously exchanged a few kind words with each other, because he didn't have a sour expression on his face like most people did after they spoke to her. "You can call me Chairman Cross, or just chairman or maybe even headmaster."

"Cross," I said, tasting the words. Then I shrugged and picked up my bags, "Where do I put my stuff?"

My grandmother nudged me in the ribs. "Don't mind her, Chairman, she's just a little plane sick. All this travelling seems to have soured her mood."

I thought about that, and not feeling any different I muttered, "No, not really."

"That's okay," The chairman fished out a folded up piece of paper and handed it to me. "My day class is already getting ready to head to their dormitories --that's your schedule for tomorrow." He explained when I opened up the white sheet and stared blankly at the timetable. I tucked it in a small pouch on the side of my dark green duffle bag.

"It's a beautiful place you have here. There is nothing like this where we come from." My grandmother complimented, looking around at all the large trees, splendid set up. It had a sense of comfort here, but also a strange hint of danger.

Pursing my lips I turned to study one of the large roads heading off to one of the dormitories. A group of black huddled at the gates, and with closer inspection I realized them to be people. When I turned back to the chairman, I said, "That's because America is a giant blob of pollution."

The chairman smiled wider, eyes glossed with the compliments my grandmother was dishing out of her thin, hollow mouth. It must fill his giant ego to be complimented. He acted almost like a child would. "You think so? I put so much effort into my academy. All my love and devotion." He said.

"It really shows," said my grandmother, picking a stray hair from her forehead. "I'm sure Annabelle will love it here. Won't you, hun?"

"Yeah, if I like playing prisoner." I said, then I nudged a thumb in the direction of the huddled mass of students. A murmur of voices had come over on the wind and had made me curious, "Why is everyone over there? I thought it was regulation for day class students to be heading to their dorms around this time. Seems like they are having a party."

For a moment a serious expression leached away all the good humour from Chairman Cross's face, then a second later it was replaced by a wide grin, and he gestured mildly in that direction. "The night class." Was his response, as if I'd even know what that meant. I frowned.

"Well, I'd love to stay for tea," My grandmother put a hand on my shoulder. Tea my ass, I thought grudgingly. She was leaving me for dead, and better yet she was using one of her phoney I-got-to-run lines. "But I don't want them to overbook my hotel room. I've got an early flight back to America tomorrow and I wouldn't want to miss it."

"Of course, Mrs. Locke." The chairman nodded, his tea-colored hair flopping in the unusual ponytail. "Would you like me to show you to your room, Annabelle?"

"It's Anna, and how about you just give me directions and I find it myself?" I hadn't meant for the words to come out venomous, but they did and I waited to be scolded my grandma.

"Oh hush, Anna." She started, "He's trying to be nice. If you'd stop being so rude and realized that making friends isn't that hard, maybe you wouldn't be such a cow to others."

"Cause that makes sense," I hissed, slinging the duffle bag over my shoulders and picking up the other bag in my right hand. She'd already opened the front door to the car. Like I thought, she couldn't wait to leave me here to drown. I stiffly embraced her when she came to say goodbye; she smelt of tobacco and sweat, but I guess you couldn't ever say a smoker smelt like roses or soap, and nodded her off.

Then she was in the car, hands perched on the leather steering wheel, facing me with those small blue eyes. I had an odd sense of abandonment. My stomach hurt, and my chest throbbed, and I just wanted to run into my room and slam the door and lay down until I fell asleep. No point in doing that here though, the brochure said that I'd be stuck in a room with someone else. My privacy was shattered and I was utterly alone.

She opened her mouth to say something, hesitated, then closed it. Once she settled on a small wave good-bye, she drove off without another word, not even a glance back, then she turned the corner and was gone. I found the chairman smiling at me when I miserably turned back to him, and I arched a thin brow in question.

"Welcome to Cross Academy," He said.

No, I thought, you mean welcome hell.

--

I wasn't normally one for unpacking, but when I stepped back to view my handiwork a strange sense of accomplishment filled the innards of my stomach. Neatly before me was a closet full of my clothes. Before it had been empty, only occupied by a single gum wrapper. Now it was my space, my small achievement. I quickly tucked the two empty bags at the back, sighed in exhaustion, and turned to meet the room I had founded as my own.

It was medium sized with bright blue walls, green curtains against one window and a silver ceiling fan. Two single beds occupied each wall, accompanied by a mahogany dresser and a built in closet, and to the right, down a small corridor beside the door was a small bathroom.

The headmaster, through all my bickering, had chosen to walk me up here and give me a brief detour of the cathedral-like dormitory for the sun students. It had seemed he was more interesting in flattering his own work then giving me an extravagant tour, and after that I hadn't complained. I had fallen silent when he had so boldly refused the 'Just give me the damn instructions to my room and I'll get out of your hair,' remark.

I pulled back the green curtains and watched as the students, mostly girls I noted, seeped down the road and began filing into the building. The sky was a rich red, tinted now by the growing mass of purple. I wondered if my room-mate would end up being your TV show drama queen or your stereotypical slut, what I wasn't expecting when she stepped into the room, was a short girl with glasses. Freckles dotted the bridge of her nose and cheeks, and even though her appearance struck me as nerdy, she was quite pretty, with long auburn hair pulled into a long French braid that hung smoothly down the center of her back.

She stepped in, casting me a furtive glance, and then after she placed a large leather-bound book on the dresser she broke out into an unusually cheerful smile. "So you're the new girl." Her voice was high, child-like. She adjusted the glasses on her nose before continuing, "We saw you drive up to the front from the Night Dormitory. I don't mean to be rude or cause offence or anything…but isn't it a little odd for someone to be joining so late in the school-year?"

I had to hide the shock on my face. Either the people here were incredibly nice, or they were just all outgoing and rich and…well, more rich and outgoing. This girl, with an appearance that, back home, would have plucked her out of the friendly type and landed her into the nerdy timid type, was speaking as if she had known me for eternity. That smile was as home-welcoming as if I had stepped out of my god-forsaken life and stepped into an episode of the Brady Bunch family.

My response was a simple shrug. I found a place on the bed I'd taken as my own, and said, "My reason for being here is a little long. Let's just say they make exceptions for the exceptional." I returned her warm smile with a forced one. I was never good at being friendly, nor did I exactly want to be at the moment. Being forced to enter an academy didn't exactly strike me as the 'my-life-is-so-great,' phrase, and through all of this, making friends was at the bottom of my list of priorities. Finally with a long deep breath, I leaned back against the bed and fiddled with the silver chain on my wrist.

"My name is Kohana Yuta." She said, sitting on the bed and looking at me with slight fascination. For a brief moment I wanted to ask her if I looked like an exhibit at a zoo, because for all I knew her eyes seemed to take me in as one. "I've been so used to having this room by myself that it just feels weird to see someone else in it." Kohana took out her braid, went into the bathroom, and came back with a brush. She began to comb the knots from her hair. "Is it alright if I ask your name?"

"Annabelle," I told her, sitting up and gesturing to the black school outfit she was clad in, "Does this mean I'm going to have to wear that?"

"Oh this?" Kohana picked at the cuff at her wrist, and nodded almost eagerly. "Yes, Anna," She tasted the American name on her lips before continuing, "What size are you? I'm sure I can find a spare in the laundry room. Small, medium, large? You seem like a small, or an extra small --whoa, you're really thin, aren't you?" Then I heard a gasp, "Is your belly pierced?!"

Self-consciously I looked down at my bare stomach, and fiddled absently with the metallic sphere glowing like a tattoo against the pastiness of my flesh. "Got it done when I was thirteen." I said. "I'll probably be an extra small. I get the thinness from my mother. I also," I turned towards her so that she could see the swells of my hips, "get the big hip bone from her too."

"I would be murdered if I ever got my belly button done."

"I did mine in secrecy. Though sooner or later people are bound to find out. For me it was two weeks before my grandmother flipped out on me." I sighed, remembering those days. With a pang of nostalgia, I returned to the subject at hand. "So you're most positive that I have to wear that…erm, lovely piece of material?"

"It's regulation. Don't worry, you'll get used to it. They are very comfortable." The brunette, oddly at ease with talking to strangers, sat back down on her emerald tinted bed. She brushed out the creases in the comforter and then turned on the nightlight. A pool of incandescent light filled the room. The sky outside had become a dark blue.

"Don't you ever get cold wearing just that?"

"Nope," She shook her head, a smile curling her lips. "The heaters do come in handy."

"I don't suppose the boys walk around in flimsy skirts?" I inclined my head, a wolfish grin on my face. "Cause that would be an awesome thing to see. Not to mention it would make my day that much better."

Earning a laugh from the girl, I tucked my hands behind my head and looked up at the ceiling.

Kohana got up, disappeared for a moment, and then came back in long flannel pyjamas. I was like a fox in a henhouse full of catholic nuns. All these girls seemed uncharacteristically good, or at least the ones I'd manage to glimpse from the window. I wondered if this school would even have the slightest hint of big popular mean girls, or if they all got along in building up the overwhelming peace I felt reverberating off the walls.

"Tomorrow I'll wake you up early. I can give you a quick tour and show you to your classes, if you'd like. --Did you bring a pair of pyjamas?" Kohana asked, pulling off the comforter and crawling in; I was still in my day clothes. "You can borrow a pair of mine if you'd like."

"I appreciate the concern," I said, standing up and walking to my newly filled closet. I withdrew a flimsy pearl nightgown, the ones that had lacy straps and barely covered your ass, and showed it to her. "But I came prepared, see?"

When I had finished dressing, brushing my teeth and removing my make-up, I found my new room-mate glassless and asleep, nightlight off. I stumbled my way through the darkness and then stopped. A flash of black took over the corners of my eyes, and was then gone. A Shadow?

If I had been relatively sleepy, I wouldn't of thought anything of it. But I could have sworn, even if it was just for a second, that I saw something out the window. Even though it could have just been a sleepless bird, my body was just too exhausted, too pumped with boredom, irritation and frustration, sadness, and anger that for some reason, even though I was miserably depressed, my heart had begun to pound. I pulled back the curtains and peered out.

Nothing.

Just as I thought. I was going insane, most simple explanation I could come up with. This life was just too surreal at the moment for anything to be real, and I had a sudden hope that I would find myself awake in my bed back home, panting and sweating from this nightmare. I had come to Cross Academy, settled in this room, and already some girl was speaking to me like she was my friend. Better yet, I was having some delusional thought of someone outside my window. Then again, technically it wouldn't mean ghosts or anything.

If it had been a person, it was probably just from the night class or something. Yes, of course. How stupid of me. The night class had to be counted for, and if people were wandering around then obviously it was their figures instead of serial rapists --but for god knows why someone would even wander around in the night instead of in the day, when normal people had school, was completely oblivious to me. I pulled the curtains wide, letting in a shaft of light, and then climbed into my bed.

My official first day at Cross Academy was bound to begin tomorrow. Unfortunately, so was my bad habits.


	2. Adventure

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or its characters. I do however own Annabelle Locke.**

**Chapter Two**

_Beep_

_Beep_

_Beep_

The alarm clock sounded off in my ears, and groggily I moved a hand to switch it off, pulling the dark navy comforter off me and rubbing the grit from my eyes. A thick beam of sunlight cascaded through the open window, lighting the room to its full, homely glory and making it feel, strangely, more lonely then before. My roommate was whisking back and forth, and upon seeing me she smiled, said hello, and pointed to a smaller version of the school's uniform lain out across my bed. I looked at it grudgingly. I knew she had said she'd get one for me last night, but a small voice in my brain had actually wished there had been none left over, therefore my normal attire would be welcomed. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

"I was just about to wake you," Kohana said with a smile, brushing a thick bristled comb through her long auburn hair, it glittered freshly in the sunlight. Then she clipped two pins in her shortly cropped bangs, pulling them back from her freckled covered face, and disappeared into the bathroom. When she came back she smelt of lavender. "I know I was going to wake you up earlier to show you around, but you looked like you needed the sleep."

"Thanks," I grumbled, sitting up and brushing a set of fingers lazily through my hair. They caught on knots, and painfully I had to tug them out. Absently I checked the clock and, surprisingly, wasn't shocked to find that it was only 7:00am in the morning. I would have gotten up at this time anyway if I were still going to school back home, but having been a drop out, I had become accustomed to the sleep-in-as-long-as-you-want time. With a groan, I stood and trotted my way to the bathroom, wishing, as I passed by the black uniform, that it would melt into a puddle of nothingness.

There was no time to take a shower, so after finishing layering my face with the usual eyeliner, eye shadow and pale lipstick I had taken out from my flowery make-up bag, I brushed my hair quickly and sufficiently, flipping the longer bits over my shoulders and making sure that the shorter layers stood out by the usual teasing I applied to them.

Kohana was tidying up her bed when I stepped back in. I wondered if she'd make mine if I asked her to.

"Are you excited?" She asked, "I mean about your first day?"

"Who wouldn't be?" I opened up my closet and flipped through the newly designed metal hangers, each wielding a piece of my collective clothing. Fishing out a pair of jeans and a green tank-top, I tossed them onto the bed and fixed up the messy pile that was the blanket, making it match hers.

She looked at me questioningly. "What are you doing?"

"I thought I'd make my bed for a change. Why, is that a problem?"

Not catching my inappropriately venomous tone, she shook her head and pointed to the pair of my clothes lain out across the school uniform. "No," She said, "I mean aren't you going to wear your uniform. It's school regulation. You'll get into trouble if you don't."

"Trust me, getting into trouble by a school teacher is far less scary when you've gotten into trouble by other forms of authority." I picked up the pair of close fitting black jeans and held them to my hips. "You don't like them?"

"I do. It's just we're not allowed—"

I shrugged. "Oh well. Sometimes it's good to break the rules every now and again. Speaking of which," I slipped out of the nightgown I had previously gone to bed in, and replaced it with the jeans and top, fitting around my hips a studded belt. "Which is the fastest route to getting to that little town not too far from here?"

The brunette blinked. "There's only one way. Follow the bridge and turn right. You can't miss it." Then she hesitated. "Why do you want to know?"

Perfect. "Is it in walking distance?"

Kohana nodded. "Of course. Students go there for lunch."

I had completely forgotten about that. Thoughtfully I plucked my Ipod from the nightstand and shoved it into my jean pocket. "Hmm. I would ask if you had any money, but I'd doubt you'd give me any."

"You want a few dollars for lunch?"

"Not exactly, no." From the bag in my closet I withdrew a twenty dollar bill, and with it my time table for today's lessons. The money I still had in my wallet was American based, and I was curious as to see if they'd take it in this small secluded place. Since not all the students here looked Japanese, maybe they'd have cashiers that took tourist money instead. I could only hope. "I was thinking maybe I'd go explore around town. You know, get a feel of the environment."

With supposed understanding, Kohana smiled. "You can come with me and my friends at lunch time. We'd love to show you a small wonderful boutique we usually hang out in. It's very pretty, full of interesting things…"

I ignored her half way through her speech, looking around to see if I possibly needed to bring anything with me. Then I opened up the timetable and scanned it, memorizing it with my eyes. I felt a shadow over me, and looked up to see Kohana's eyes shining. She was leaning over to see the fine print on the white paper, and even though I just saw information, she had caught something splendid.

"You have first class with me. Math, see?" She pointed to a little box, scribbled on it _Math_. Her finger slipped to the last little box, "You also have science with me! How cool is that?"

"Pretty awesome," I said, less then enthusiastic. Folding up the sheet of paper, I put it on the nightstand and returned to my closet to retrieve my, now empty, duffle bag. Kohana had begun to rant about how amazing Mr. Yamato, our math teacher, was and that I'd love the students there, and that if I needed any help, Susan, a friend of Kohana's, would tutor me. Suddenly I waved her to silence, knowing that if I didn't explain to her my plans for today, she'd be completely oblivious and sit there waiting until I showed up. "Kohana, look, where I come from, school is optional. And, since I chose the easiest route, which was to not go to school, I'm not really up for this semester either. See, me and teachers don't really mix well. We're like oil and water, and while they are the water, I am the oil."

Bafflement consumed her face, and I sighed, knowing that my metaphor had screwed up the inside of her mind. I chose a less confusing manner in explaining things, and pushed head first into what my plans were. "I'm not going to classes today."

The gasp was undeniable, but, having been used to those since child birth, I ignored it and stepped around her to look out the window. Students were filing out of the doors already, some grouping on the sides of the road to chat, others making an early attempt to get to classes before the bell rang. Since they were all clad in school uniform, it would be hard to slip through them unnoticed, so I backtracked and thought over my plan again.

If I took a back route, maybe they wouldn't catch me. Then again, if I just waited until class started, the road would be empty and I would be free to wander without question. But I doubted Kohana would leave me to my own mischief. Suddenly I turned on her, and placing a hand on my hips, asked, "You're not going to tell anyone, are you?"

Confusion, wonder, envy and panic were written on her face. She picked up her glasses from the nightstand and stabled them on the bridge of her nose, scrutinizing my own face. "You're really serious about not going today, aren't you?"

"Naturally it would be right for me to say No and lie to you. But, since we're practically living together, I don't see the reason to hide my ways." I took in a deep breath. "Kohana, people have called me bad ass since I was ten. Now, having that reputation doesn't mean you go to school everyday. Actually, for me, it means not going at all. And I know this school must be wonderful and all, but I was brought here against my will. So, if there is a chance that I can skip out and go to town, chances are I'm going to take it."

My roommate frowned. "Does this mean you take drugs?"

Shallowly I laughed, and then shook my head. "No. I may be stupid but I'm not _that_ stupid." For a second afterwards of staring at each other, I shrugged, feeling her doubt. "Well, I do smoke. But I'm not addicted to it or anything."

The girl almost choked and, stabling herself by sitting on the bed, she looked at me with big round eyes, the kind of eyes that you usually get from walking around the mall if you were to bear a large Mohawk above your head. "You smoke?" She breathed, stunned and still like stone.

"Not always, just when I'm stressed." Was I stressed now? I suddenly had an urge to fish out my cigarettes, but stopped myself reluctantly, aware that I didn't want to scare her anymore then I'd already done. Our relationship had taken a nose dive in a matter of seconds. Sometimes I wished I could keep my mouth shut. "But anyway," I said, changing the subject, "Look at the time, you better get going."

Kohana stayed silent, but she did oblige and she did get up and grab her schoolbag from her dresser. She pulled it over her shoulder, opened her mouth as if to say something, and then closed it, looking more confused then she had all morning.

I grinned, "Look, I'll go tomorrow. Today I just want to look around, okay?"

My roommate didn't answer me, just looked long and hard into my eyes, searching for something. Then she turned on her heel and closed the door, and after awhile I heard her voice, quieter then usual, greeting another high-pitched female voice. Hopefully Kohana could keep her mouth on lock, but at the moment I didn't have time to worry about that: I was going on an adventure. So after a quick look over in the bathroom mirror and waiting until the bell, which sounded old and church-like, rung, and everyone was gone, I hurried down the stairs and picked my way to the front doors, having memorized the route from the night before.

The morning air was refreshing against my skin, and the wind, not as strong as yesterday, was only just a light caress on my arms, like that of a birds feathery wing. The sky was a clear azure, with only wisps of white cloud, and the sun was a bright splatter of yellow against it. I tucked my hand into my pocket, turned on my Ipod, and listened as the soft music washed into my ears.

Stealth wasn't exactly existent here. The road was as open and as empty as a large flat landscape, and if I were to be caught, the trees rooted into the sides and outlining the pavement weren't exactly human-hiding sufficient. I'd have to hope that no one was looking out the window when I passed by the academy.

Luckily no one had. I wasn't stopped as I left school grounds, and even when I looked over my shoulders I felt no strange presence following me. I was alone to do whatever I liked, while the students of Cross Academy enjoyed learning, in my eyes, pointless math equations.

When the small downtown district fanned out before me, taking shape, I was welcomed with a thick sense of relief. City life was my life, and even though Cross Academy was known for its beauty, and even though I thought of it as relatively beautiful, buildings would always be a homely sign for me.

The markets weren't exactly full of people at the moment, and I didn't know if they would ever be as full as they used to be back home, but seeing adults with little children strolling around did lighten my heart. The tension in my body slowly faded, being replaced by the feeling of excitement and wonder. I stopped by a small worn down shop and looked inside, but it was only a convenience store and the only thing that looked particularly appetizing was the wrapped chocolate bars below the counter, so even though the store clerk looked at me hopefully, I left the room empty handed. The next store was just a fabric store, and since I wasn't any fashion designer, I also left that without anything weighing me down.

This town's design matched perfectly with Cross Academy. It was as if I'd taken a large step back in time, finding myself smack dab in a small religious district. The only thing odd was that the people walking around here were dressed in sundresses, sunglasses, flaring jeans and blouses, all in a modern fashion. I checked through most of the stores in the area I'd passed, none of which I found tasteful. Eventually time wore on and my feet had begun to ache, so I stopped by a small ice cream parlor and ordered up a chocolate-chip-cookie dough cone. I had to wolf it down since the damn summer heat had begun to turn the cream into liquid, but even though I ate it with speed, my stomach didn't protest and welcomed the sugary sweet with open arms.

Only the cone remained, a puddle of white at the bottom. I chewed absently around the edge of the cardboard tasting cone, and looked up at a much taller building. It looked more like a church then anything, and with a pang I realized that it probably was a church. Something I'd never gone to in my life. I'd grown up without religion, a lost spirit in which my grandmother had never forced into a certain place. I was left to choose my own path, and, non-surprisingly, I had chosen a path that made me wind up skipping school and doing other, unnamable, things. I sighed, catching the sculpture of Jesus on a cross outside one tall domed window, then when a high-pitched creak resonated from the front of me, my eyes moved to the front doors. They opened heavily and a woman stepped out. She was small and fragile-looking, her face ghostly pale, her eyes dazedly fixed on one spot in front of her. Her hair was red and she wore a cotton spaghetti strap dress.

She came down the few concrete steps outside the church and didn't pause to acknowledge me with her eyes, just stepped forward, passing me, bumping into me as if she hadn't seen me there in the first place. I pulled back my arm, the one she'd collided with, and the ice cream cone slipped from my grasp and tumbled clumsily onto the cobblestone walk, where it rolled and spilled the rest of its juices.

"Hey!" I shouted, turning with her body. She didn't answer, only staggered forward as if my voice hadn't reached her ears. "Hey, I'm talking to you! Hello? You just knocked into me, aren't you going to apologize?" The fury escaladed inside of me, I could feel it feeding the fire in my voice. Some people stopped to watch, and though I was too furious to notice them, I managed a few glares. The redhead turned the corner and vanished, and reluctantly I left the church grounds and followed her, my hands balled into fists.

I was overreacting, I knew, but some part of me wanted to start a fight, wanted that attention so that I could marvel in the strength I possessed. Some part of me wanted that risk of knowing I might get hurt, while the other just fueled me with reasons why.

The lady made me spill my ice cream. She hadn't even apologized, did she think she could just walk away and leave me with my food on the ground? The food I paid for? By the looks of it, she was probably drunk, she had been clumsily staggering her way from me. I may not be catholic, and I may not have any form of religion, but I thought it was rude to be in a church drunk because you couldn't keep your hands off a bottle of beer.

Yes, I was definitely overreacting. The summer heat fed my anger, making me grumpy, so when I caught up to her after weaving my way through a small pathway between houses, I shouted, "Excuse me, lady." It was quiet in this area, cut off from the main paths, so my voice carried. Still, the woman didn't acknowledge my presence and turned to walk blindly into a dark alleyway.

Damn bitch, I thought. I stopped at the empty walk, peering into the shadows cast by the houses on either side. The neighborhood had a strange feel to it, as if it were warning me. I ignored it, turned and put away my Ipod, and stepped in, feeling the strangeness suddenly force curiosity upon me, making me more focused onto why this woman acted the way she did.

I stepped over a fallen garbage can, picking my way oddly through the trash littered ally. This was a place you'd find in the ghettos back home, not in a beautifully sculpted downtown area like this. Why was this way so strange? Then I heard talking. Gentle, soothe talking, like a murmur of insects on the wind. I settled myself against a wall, an opening into a back garden in front of me, and peered around the edge. The woman was standing by herself in a small patch of grass, shaded by the eaves of the house at her left, but the voice wasn't coming from her. It was a man's voice. So she wasn't alone.

I hadn't realized that she was meeting someone, and suddenly I felt very snoopy. I'd always beat on the girls that nosed around in my business back at Riverdale's school for the angered, so now that I was taking on the role myself, I felt confused, pissed and also, still, curious. More curious that I stayed still, my feet rooted to the spot.

A man stepped out of a back door in front of her, attached to a sharply jutting building. It looked like the end of an apartment building, weathered and old, with thin vinery clinging with death grips onto the broken bricks. The man himself looked pasty, very pasty, pastier then the girl. His hair was a greenish blonde, abnormally bright even in the shade, his eyes were red: contacts, of course. Unnaturally beautiful, as well, I examined with a heightened sense of interest.

He weaved his way towards the woman with an elegant cat-like approach, and, gripping her arms, pulled her into an embrace, his lips in her hair, on her cheeks. "I didn't think you'd come, love." He whispered, his voice betraying him. It sounded rough, like claws were being dragged on a chalk-board. I recoiled from that, finding him no longer attractive. "I'm so glad, so very glad."

The girl had her eyes closed, her head tilting back when he brushed hair away from her neck. His lips came against her throat, smoothing it over, he inhaling while she exhaling in a wide rush of ecstasy. My cheeks heated, undeniably shades redder then usual. Then her voice peaked, and it would have sounded like a scream if she hadn't groaned and murmured silently into his ears. Her hand gripped at the back of his shirt, rough at first but then relaxing, and her body slackened against his.

I, feeling flustered, swallowed hard and shifted uncomfortably. Clearly this couple was a pair of whack jobs, each enjoying a parody of their own creation. When I looked back the woman was limp in his arms, his mouth still at her neck. She almost looked as if she were dying. Dying because she is being kissed by the man she likes, I assumed.

Then, with a small sigh I pushed off the wall and stalked quietly back to the small cobblestone walk crowded with houses, trying not to disturb the two. When I was back in the main plaza I stopped at a big restaurant, crowded to high heaven with people, ordered up a soda and then left, feeling my frustration turn into confusion over what had happened.

I'd finished up my adventure about an hour later, having filled one bag full of cute sweaters I'd found at one small clothing shop called Tank Toxic, and by the time I'd begun to wonder about returning to Cross Academy, the sky was already a deep red. The sun was setting and I was still in the middle of town.

Shit.

The next thing I knew I was running, trying to beat time, trying to beat the sun before it turned away for the night and I was left in darkness. I could only curse the rules, but I didn't know, or wanted to know, the consequences for breaking them. What if I was locked out? What if I had to spend the night sleeping under a tree? Not that nature wasn't good or anything, but I wasn't really the camping type.

I swerved onto the empty road, straight ahead the academy, and, although out of breath, made an attempt to reach the gate before it closed and locked for the night –if that is what would happen if I wound up late. I didn't know for sure, but I didn't want to wait to find out. I pushed harder.

However, even with all my effort, the sun had set when I arrived, but, thankfully, the gate wasn't sealed by a large unruly lock or anything of the sort, strangely it was open and I walked in, stopped, braced my hands on my knees and filled my lungs with clean oxygen. Once my heart was beating calmly again, I straightened myself up and headed for the academy, shopping bag in hand, dark blue sky above me. The stars were sparkling like small gems, the moon full and plump in the sky, brighter then usual. No denying it, it was a beautiful night. Though strangely uncomfortable at Cross Academy, as if eyes were constantly on your back.

I wondered if maybe I should speak with headmaster Cross. I doubted he was oblivious to my absent from school today. Damn attendance, that is if the took it here, would wined up in someone's hands and, since I was new, they'd probably discuss my strange absence. Tomorrow would be long, I assumed. But, the knowledge of another particular event stopped me from stepping through the building. I stopped on the outskirts of the academy, looking up at the windows. The Night class was in there now, right? And with all their infamous camouflaging, I doubted that I was allowed to venture into their domain at this time.

Ha, I almost laughed. Here I was, wondering if I was welcomed, when I, Annabelle Locke, never gave a damn before. I sighed, about ready to leave and return to my dorm. I had no idea what time it was, or how long I'd stayed in town for. And if I was planning on going to classes tomorrow, I may as well get a good nights rest. But something caught my eye and held me in place looking curiously through a window and trying to decipher what the shadow was that lay beyond it. I tilted my head. It was a face, pale like the guy I'd seen back in the alleyway, but hair color and facial features were obscured by the shining moonlight on the panel of glass. I probably looked goofy, standing there. I blinked then, and when I refocused the face was gone. Suddenly I was embarrassed, and shaken, I turned on my heel to leave—

A voice stopped me dead in my tracks, my back went rigid, and I froze as if someone had poured ice down my shirt.

"Hey! What are you doing out of your dorm at this time?"

I turned, cautiously, to confront the owner of the voice, a soft, melodic sound: female. My eyes focused on nothing at first, it was just empty space, and then a mass fell down in front of me, making my heart splutter frantically, my feet having taken a few steps back.

A girl straightened herself from the perched landing she'd made, a tree branch rattled above her. "Don't you know what time it is?" She said.

As far as I was concerned, time didn't matter. This girl had jumped from Cross Academy, I was surprised to see that there weren't any splintering bone fragments or torn flesh on her legs. If I had jumped from the building, even using that tree as a leverage, I'd of fallen on my face and, seriously, would have damaged something. "Uhhh," I drawled. On closer inspection the girl was an ordinary teenager, my age by the looks of it. Short chocolate colored hair and eyes, small lips, curved nose. She wore the day class uniform, but there was a badge of white on her left arm, which she had begun to tug at, indicating what, higher status?

"You know the rules," She said all business-like, even though her voice was delicate, smooth, that of a girl who was also unnaturally goodhearted. "It's dangerous to be out at night."

I paused. "Actually I do know the rules," I said, "But, to be honest, I don't like them."

"You should respect the Night Classes privacy," The brunette said, stepping closer to me, casting a look around her. Then she showed me her badge again, "As the prefect of Cross Academy, I suggest you go back to your dorm this instant and not come out until morning. It's against regulation to be out at night."

"I'm new," I informed her, suddenly furious. "So sorry if I broke a few rules. But just so you know I was going back to my dorm a few minutes ago. I would be gone if you didn't bother me."

The girl's eyes widened slightly, big brown eyes shining in the little light. "You're new?" then she shook her head, her face becoming serious. "Doesn't matter. Rules are rules. Return to your dorm."

"And if I don't?" The anger welled inside of me. All the anger I'd felt during the past two days. I wanted to argue, to fight. I wanted to slap my grandmother in the face, I wanted to scream at the police officer who caught me that night, I wanted to rant about how stupid this school was in all the students faces. "What are you going to do? Give me a detention. Look, girl, I am aware of the rules here and I am aware that I have to go to my dorm now. If you want to know, I was late coming back from town. I'm not here to step all over the Night Classes supposed privacy."

Shock turned to anger of its own on her face, but her voice was far more controlled, far less venomous then mine. It, in some strange way, made me feel small and worthless. "All we're doing is looking out for your safety. It's dangerous to be out at night," She repeated.

I laughed. "What, am I going to be attacked by a monster?"

Silence.

We stood there, I glaring, she with an unreadable expression on her face. Another set of footsteps snapped me from my glowering mood, and I looked up to find a silver haired boy planting himself behind the girl. He was pasty, while she peach, and his eyes were a strange violet. Again I thought contacts, but waved it off when I noticed the same day class uniform and badge on his left arm. I snorted. "Another one?"

"Yuuki, is something wrong?" The boy asked, his voice hard like diamond. His eyes narrowed when they took me in, and again I felt small. My fists clenched, the bag's handles biting into my palm.

"No, nothing is wrong," I said, cutting off what the girl, named Yuuki, was about to say. "I was just leaving."

I turned on my heel, very aware of the eyes on my back, and headed back to my dorm.

This day was strange indeed.

* * *


	3. School

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or its characters. I do however own Annabelle Locke.**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

"Anna?"

My dreams ended when I opened my eyes, lost somewhere between reality and darkness. I could barely recall what it had been that I was staring at behind my eyelids, a face? The only face I could see now was the freckled one of my roommate, Kohana, as she lean over me, long auburn hair hanging over one shoulder in a thick French braid, large brown eyes staring curiously into mine.

Wait, what?

I blinked, grey mottling my vision for a second before settling; her face cleared again, and she smiled. "Annabelle, you said you were coming to classes today, so get up. I was thinking you know, about yesterday and why you didn't come, and I think it was for the best. Really I did, cause I get how you wanted a feel of the environment. Japan must be so different for you." She said, while I, woken from my sleep by a large face in front of my eyes, tried to settle down.

"What time is it?" I asked, rubbing my eyes with one hand.

Kohana leaned up and plucked her glasses from the nightstand, pushing them far up on her nose. "It's 6:45 a.m. I thought you might want time for a shower."

"Yeah, thanks."

Morning wasn't my turf, I was bigger a grump when I woke up then I was at night when I was tired. Today, even as fresh as it felt in this small blue room, I could safely say wouldn't betray a hint of entertainment. Yesterday I had ditched school, bought a few sweaters, caught a pair making out in the back of an alley, and met the schools night watch. If anything else were to go array, I'd have to lock myself in an insane asylum and wish that the city fairies would come pluck me from reality. I sighed and slid out of my bed.

The warm water felt good on my back, relaxing, draining all the tension with each trickle of water from the showerhead. I felt inevitably better when I stepped out, wrapped a pink towel around my torso, blow dried my hair and brushed my teeth.

My roommate was on her bed, scribbling something down in a fusia notebook. Before I had the chance to ask she simple said it was a math equation that she had had trouble with yesterday, and that now the answer was swimming in her head. I only nodded, fished out another pair of clothes from my newly filled closet, and tossed them onto the bed next to the school's uniform.

She looked at me long and hard. And after I brushed my hair free of knots, I succumbed to her stares and turned to her. "What?" I asked.

Kohana shrugged. "You're not going to classes?"

No, I wanted to say. I didn't really want to go at all. I wanted to leave Cross Academy and return home. But I had made a promise, and no matter how foolish I was, I wouldn't break it. "I said I'd come with you today, so I will."

The brunette broke out into a wide grin, displaying a perfect set of teeth. The wealthy, I thought bitterly, does not have patience for flaws. Then again, when did humanity ever have time for flaws? They were always ridiculed, so getting rid of them was the only step to go. I couldn't complain further.

"Great!" She exclaimed, standing and shoving the notebook into her book bag. "There is so much to tell you! You'll love the teachers here and the students –oh remind me to tell you about this one time I got into trouble with Mr. Yamato over some stupid miscalculation on a test." Kohana gestured with her hands when she talked, I noted. She waved them around her impatiently, as if she couldn't get everything out in time. "and you have to meet Susan, and Kira –you'll love Sieka, she's hilarious. My best friend Sazume too!"

I fiddled with a raven black strand of hair until she quieted, and even then her suddenly cheerful emotion cascaded from her in great waves. Even though I'd never be caught dead with girls like her back home, it was a relief to know that someone's life was going over well. I took strength from that and smiled, making her eyes shine even more.

Then she turned the mood sour by picking up the uniform and pushing it into my lap. "I wanna see what it looks like on you," She insisted. "C'mon. It'll look amazing. After today you can put it in the hamper with mine to get washed, and I'll bring it up tomorrow with the rest of my clothes."

Resentfully, I picked it up and looked it over. It wasn't something I'd ever be caught dead in. Of course it was cute and all, but it was a uniform. An image of respect and loyalty to the rules. Loyalty of rules didn't exactly mix well with my mind, and so wearing this would only make me uncomfortable. But if I didn't wear it, chances of me getting into classes would be slim. Even though I had that chance to chose to wear normal clothes and be sent back to my dorm to change, meaning less school for me, I had promised Kohana that I'd live through one day, and grudgingly looking over at my pair of dark blue jeans and white T-shirt, I slinked my way towards the bathroom and changed.

I didn't want to come out. I'd locked myself in after I had applied my layers of make-up and done my hair, and even though Kohana knocked constantly, I told her I'd rather curl up and die then step outside with this…thing on my back. But sooner or later she'd managed to lure me out with the I-know-what-it-feels-like phrase and the you'll-get-used-to-it sentence. She took me in with one big, silent stare. I felt as if I'd been placed in a museum for others entertainment, and felt, suddenly, very self-conscious.

"You look great!" She said, flustering me. She ran away to her dresser and fished out a pair of black tights. "Here," She handed them to me, "put these on."

I could of easily gone to my closet and fetched a pair, but I didn't want to turn down her generosity and instead slipped each leg into the stretchable fabric, pulling them up until they were clinging to my hips. I looked at her lamely, and she shook her head, returned to her dresser, and withdrew two separate stockings. "These will look better. Trust me," She added, seeing my concern.

I never knew I'd be taking fashion advice from a would-be nerd, but life seemed to be throwing bullets, no, fire balls, at me from all directions. This small, confusing event hardly built up to the over all picture. When I had them on and twirled on both feet like she'd asked, and she looked me over from head to toe. Suddenly a smile broke out on her lips, and she nodded. "Perfect. It looks amazing on you!"

"You think so?" I questioned, looking down at the black Day Class uniform. It wasn't that I didn't like it, I just didn't like it _on_ me. There was a difference. "It's not too short, is it?"

"Let me see."

I turned and she checked, shaking her head to answer my question when I returned my eyes to her. Then she checked the time, and seeing that there was only half an hour until classes began, picked up her bags. I mimicked her, but instead of a perfectly plump schoolbag, I had a sinking dark green duffle bag with no books. Compared to her, I felt very poor. But I was poor, I corrected myself.

"I'll show you around," Kohana said, opening up the door. Outside I could hear the chatter of other girls, a few squeals as if someone was being chased around, and a small whining voice. Then I didn't want to step out and leave the safety of my haven. I wanted to be a hermit then, I wanted to be clad in darkness and consumed by black, and see nothing. My cheeks burned, fiery red against the pastiness against my skin, but Kohana ignored my protests and dragged me out.

Looks were nothing compared to this. Even though the girl's we'd passed stared, none of them stared in horror, they were just normal stares. Welcoming stares. Stares you'd get at a family reunion. For some reason that felt so much worse then stares you'd get if you were green and walking around outside.

The sky was overcast with heavy clouds, thick and dark grey in the middle. The swell of their bellies indicated that rain was on its way, and I was scarcely aware of my fear of having my hair go flat and my eyeliner run in streaming black lines down my face. For some reason I always managed to conjure up the most efficient ways of scaring myself silly, all of which centered around my humiliation. I sighed.

Kohana pulled me to a group of girls. So much for being shown around, I thought.

"Susan!" Kohana greeted, pulling me up beside her. A girl, a lot shorter then me, with medium sized, chestnut hair and sea-salt blue eyes looked up from a rock she seemed to be eyeing.

"Hey," She said in a small, timid voice.

"This is Annabelle." Kohana gestured to me, and I waved nonchalantly. "She's the new girl I was telling you about."

Great, I felt like a zoo animal on display. A blonde girl came up beside Susan, dark metallic eyes taking in my appearance. "You wear a lot of make-up," She said casually, I returned her would-be insult with a sarcastic smile. Not noticing she raised her hand to me, "My name is Kira. This is Susan," She pointed to the small girl. "This here is Seika and Sazume."

Seika, to me, sounded girly, and the girl Sieka seemed to fit that perspective perfectly. Her skin was a dark tan, her hair, pulled into a ponytail, a rich orange, and her eyes a murky green. Her book bag was flowery and small, and she clutched it to her chest absently. More or less, she didn't strike me as the humorous type. Sazume was tall and willowy, and her short black hair lay flat on her head. Her eyes were hazel, and she look far more tomboyish then the rest, her book bag was simply black.

"Hey," They greeted in unison. I felt compelled to respond, but my voice caught and I merely waved a hand.

"Ohhh," The girl Seika surprised me by saying, "That outfit looks so cute on you. So dark. Your make-up really brings out your eyes. It's all crazy and stuff. And how do you get your hair so…poofy? It's just out there."

Me and compliments didn't mix. I shifted uncomfortably and turned to eye Kohana furtively, who only smiled unintelligibly at me. "Thanks," I muttered beneath my breath.

Kira smacked Seika in the arm, "You're scaring her." When she turned to me she, too, smiled. All these smiles were making my head hurt. "She's just weird. So, Annabelle –or Anna, which do you prefer?"

"Anna." I said.

"Okay, Anna, why have you come to Cross Academy?"

"I stole a car." I said bluntly.

The air went still, silence coming in thick and dark. I was aware of all eyes on me, but for some reason, even though I was uncomfortable before, I felt a sudden wave of strength. Their blank stares fed me.

Breaking the silence was Seika's quiet laughter, thin with uncontrolled discomfort. "No, seriously," She said, "What bring you to Cross Academy?"

Kohana's eyes were unreadable behind her glasses, and I looked at her as if to plead with her to bring me back to the dorm. But she was still as stone like the rest of them. That strength flickered and died out like a candle flame, as fast as it had come, leaving me alone again to curse at my stupidity. "I stole a car," I repeated. No use in hiding the reason for longer then needed.

"Wow," Kira said, emphasizing the word with her mouth.

Susan was looking at Kohana, Kohana at me. Shame and guilt welled inside me, and I turned to look at the big academy ahead of us, not really seeing it. Shrugging, I explained, "It was a spur of the moment thing. I saw it there and I wanted to take it, and I did. Then I was caught and taken to jail for a few days. Eventually, as you can see, they chose this as my punishment. I guess if I'm around smarter people, they think that I'll change." Seeing that their expressions hadn't changed, I sighed. "It's nothing, really."

"You stole a car, how can that be nothing?" Kira said. I expected horror and anger, but surprisingly only saw envy and excitement in her face. "How was it?" She asked.

"Kira!" Kohana turned on the blonde angrily. "Stop that! C'mon, let's go Annabelle."

Confused, I let Kohana lead me away from the group. We were barely brushing the steps of the academy when she stopped and turned to me. "I didn't know you stole a car," She said. It sounded as if this had been a life secret I'd kept from her, and that she was falling apart because of it. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"I hadn't thought of it as your business," I said truthfully, but then seeing the hurt on her face, I rethought of how to phrase it better. "I mean, I hadn't thought of it as anyone's business.

"Then why did you tell them?" She pressed. "You don't even know them."

I shrugged, suddenly furious with her questions. "I don't know. It just sort of came out. There wasn't really a point in lying, it would have just come out anyway. Besides, I'd rather people know of me as the she-who-stole-that-car girl then the black-haired-make-up-lover."

"Why would anyone call you that?" Kohana questioned, baffled.

"Never mind," I said, exhausted. There was too much explaining today, and thanks to my flipping mouth, more questions to answer would arise for me later on. I'd set myself up for failure…again. "Can you just show me around, please?"

Kohana did without question, and I was grateful to her for that. Even though she was angry, she didn't mind leaving me to myself for a bit. I was led through this hall and that hall, each confusingly leading into others. Classes were mostly on the lower levels, but a whole upper level was dedicated to them as well, while the few levels higher then that consisted of the Chairman's own housing essentials, well, for a school of course: his office and his bathroom. The twenty minute tour was boring but informative, and by the time we stopped at our Math class, I could rewrite the layout of the school on the back of my palm.

"That was…interesting," I lied mildly.

"Just wait until you meet the Night Class. Oh god, I can't believe I haven't spoken them to you before now." Kohana's voice melted as if held under a flame, and her eyes became glossy and awed. I quirked a brow in question.

"You mean the really smart students that come here at night?" I asked.

"Duh," The brunette linked an arm through mine and led me into the class. It was partially filled with students, others were coming in after us. It was a circular room, all desks long and facing the chalkboard, raising in elevating levels. "Not only are they smart, but they are _extremely_ gorgeous. You'll know what I'm talking about when you meet Idol-senpai or Ichijou-senpai or Kain-senpai or Kaname-senpai or Shiki-senpai… "

I waited until she stopped listing to speak, "When I first arrive here everyone was outside of their dormitories…is that the reason? Cause everyone thinks they are gorgeous?"

Kohana nodded but before speaking she took me to the teacher, who looked up at our arrival. He was an elderly man, betraying his age with his clothing: bright blue button up top and beige dress pants. His hair, perhaps once grey was died chestnut brown, and wrinkles fanned out from his eyes and mouth. I knew his name before he spoke, Kohana had informed me about him being the best teacher ever the night before.

"Mr. Yamato, this is Annabelle Locke." Kohana introduced. As if I couldn't speak for myself. Then again, if I spoke, I'd probably get into an argument. Sure this guy looked nice, but even the nicest teachers crumbled under my appetite for anger. "Annabelle, Mr. Yamato."

"Hey," I said. I'd been saying that a lot lately.

"Ah, so you are the new student. " He returned his eyes to a pile of papers he was sorting, each with a green mark in the corner. Most of the marks displayed high eighties low nineties; it seemed it was a pile of tests he was sorting through and with a pang I realized mine would be the only that scored in the forties. "You didn't show up yesterday. I had planned out your welcome and then you didn't come. Why not? Nervous?" A goodhearted smile turned his lips. But, I, on the verge of saying 'no, actually, I just hate everything' shrugged.

"I wasn't feeling well." I lied.

"That's alright, glad to see you've managed to make it today. I assume Kohana has been taking good care of you?"

Both the brunette and the teacher exchanged smiles, and Kohana patted me on the shoulder. "Yes sir. And surprisingly she's doing very well."

Says the girl who was shocked when I told her I stole a car, I grumbled to myself. Mr. Yamato had decided to skip formal introductions, so when class started, after me and Kohana had settled in the middle row, he merely pointed and told everyone my name. Me being me, I didn't say anything to the answering greetings.

Class went slowly as I had expected, and most of the time I was hiding my head in the iron fold of my arms. Kohana would poke and try to get an answer out of a math equation from me, but when I clearly knew nothing, she had resumed the person of teaching me instead of vise versa, and had begun to educate me in the way of linear functions. I had given up half way through and she had fallen silent, scribbling the teachers notes in her notebook. I was notebookless, therefore unable to copy the notes, not that I was going to if I had somehow required a notebook anyway.

"Do you have a pencil I could borrow?" A girl with red hair asked from beside me.

I shook my head, "Nope, sorry."

Then something caught my eye. My body twisted as I focused my eyes on the higher levels of the room. Sitting near the top was the silver-haired boy from last night. Last night had been awkward and weird. I had followed a dazed woman into an alleyway only to find her making out with some hot whack job with a raspy voice, and then this silver-haired boy and some girl had gone all hay-wire on me for being out at night. Speaking of which, the girl from last night _was_ sitting on the level below him, her head ducked into the folds of her own arms, exhausted.

I hadn't even noticed the two in the classroom, but now that I had, I was suddenly furious. Both of them seemed to rub me the wrong way, and I didn't know why. They were just those type of people you look at and despise for no apparent reason, and yesterday when that girl, Yuuki was it? Had seemed to question my respect for the rules, I'd gotten pissed.

The boy's violet eyes flickered to mine, and instinctively I turned away, fastening my eyes on the chalkboard ahead of me. I folded my arms and leaned back in my chair, biting my lip. Then the bell rang and I felt a sudden sense of relief. Saying good-bye to Kohana, I shoved the duffle bag on my shoulder and left in a rush.

Thankfully they weren't in any of my other classes. I'd managed to successfully stumble my way through this days events, and at lunch Kohana had shown me to the cafeteria where I bought an apple and a sandwich, and soon I wound up in science flustered and tired, and Kohana greeted me with a simple smile, unnaturally energized. Science wasn't exactly the most entertaining subject, and I sat through it like I had math, listening to the teachers voice turn into a low jumble of tones. The bell rang, and I found myself being led away outside, meeting the orange-tinted sky and low plump of neon yellow that was the sun.

Kohana's hand tightened around mine as she brought me down the opposite road that was ours, advancing on a swarm of squealing females. I watched, horrified, as the mass stalked the outsides of the Night Class gates, howling and chatting excitedly with one another. It was like entering a fandom, full of girls lusting after someone. But when does a girl never desire something? I couldn't really talk, with my desire to steal a car and all. At least what these women wanted wasn't something they'd have to fear.

We stopped on the outskirts of the crowd, and I turned to Kohana expectantly, waiting for her to explain. But she was rushing away from me, weaving into the crowd to meet up with a blonde girl, a girl I know knew was Kira. When she came back with Kira's presence beside her, I smiled forcefully and waved.

"So Kohana told you about the Night class?" Kira asked over the mass of raging voices.

I nodded.

"Wait until you see Idol-senpai. He is so hot."

"Nuh-uh!" A girl with dirty blonde pigtails said, coming up beside Kira and nudging her. "Kaname-senpai is so much hotter! He is like melt in your mouth delicious!"

"Ichijou-senpai is the best." Kohana cut in, her eyes looking up at the gates with awe. It was if an angel would burst through and fill her with light; it was a spooky look. "He's so handsome and adorable."

Oh god, it felt as if I _had_ jumped into a swarm of hormonal insects, all driving towards seeing these people who claimed to be of the elite. Out of place, I put down my dark green duffle bag, fished through it, and found a single white paper. Maybe if I took my mind from this odd group, I'd have less time listening to over obsessed females squealing and more time on things that actually seemed to matter. The sheet of paper was the old brochure I'd been looking at two days ago on the car ride here, and thinking back to that car ride and my grandmothers incisive talking, a pang of fury rose up in the pits of my belly. I swallowed it down and unfolded the paper.

The Night Class dorm looked the same as it did on the large photograph bordered with golden twists, and as expected it was off limits to everyone. To me it seemed everything to do with the Night Class was off limits, and even though I was here to get my attitude straightened, I felt an odd sense of crossing those rules shoot through me, filling me with excitement. Of course I'd never do so, though, because even though that would mean, could mean, returning home it would also mean meeting grandma, something I'd rather eat dirt over.

Lower down on the page was a larger map of the school grounds. It indicated the small downtown district I had gone down to yesterday, but other then that it was mostly forests and water, the real city life started beyond the small town. Another disappointment, I thought. I was stuck in a giant forest surrounded by ocean. If only I could fly away. Then again, the actual idea of spouting wings sounded painful, and I sighed and began to fold up the piece of paper.

Then I froze.

My mind had been so focused around what I had been looking at, that I had been completely oblivious to the sounds. The lack of sounds, I should say. Everything was silent, even grasshoppers were holding their tongues –if grasshoppers even had tongues to hold. When I looked up from the brochure, at the lines of young women on either side of the path, creating a walk of their presence, I flushed a deep red. They weren't doing this for me, were they?

"Hey! Get in line!"

That voice broke me from my trance, my thoughts, everything. It was that girl's. Yuuki, was it? I found her pointing at me, and if she had a whistle I didn't doubt she'd be blowing it at me too. Oddly I thought of my gym teacher Mrs. Whales, who blew her transparent whistle non-stop, until one day I almost smacked it out of her mouth and threw it at her face. Yuuki, the girl with chocolate brown hair and eyes, stood right near the closed gate.

Wait, no, the thick wooden doors weren't closed anymore. They were open, full and wide, deep brown glittering in the lessening sunlight. And there were white blobs seeping from it. But on closer inspection white blobs wasn't as nearly a good word for them as I'd thought. Kohana was right, these people, these elite students, were completely and utterly _beautiful._ They held an inhuman beauty. All walking like elegant, groomed cats. I watched as they advanced forward, _toward_ me. Me, the girl who was standing in their way, frozen solid like I'd had liquid nitrogen dumped over my head.

My heart spluttered frantically, jumping in my chest. Surprisingly, though, it wasn't because of their inhuman looks. Something was wrong, very wrong. Weird and odd and dangerous. I liked danger, but this danger was different. It was like all my nerve endings were on fire, stripping me bare and naked. I felt vulnerable, strange, as if I were melting into a puddle of wax. Every instinct inside of me told me to run and escape, while my body was held in their flawless sculptures. And then there was my mind, cold and flaring at my reaction to this.

Shut up Annabelle, you're just over reacting, it told me.

But it is so weird, a tiny voice added.

"Anna!"

What kind of inner voice was that? It sounded almost like –

Kohana called me from the side lines, hissing and making her voice as inaudible as possible. I turned reluctantly from the advancing Night Class, and looked at her. The freckled, glasses-wearing girl gestured violently with her hand, telling me, no, shouting at me to come over to her. Hell, I was still in the middle of the emptiness, and suddenly felt very small and weak. I staggered my way over to her, afraid to look back at those people. When I did, those eyes were glued to me, even for just a second.

Then they passed. I counted eight of them in total. Three of them were blonde, two males and one girl. A guy with orange spikes was sauntering behind them, hands tucked in his pockets, a male with red hair and one of the most beautiful girls I'd ever seen beside him. In the middle was a dark-haired man with a blue haired female beside him, and that man in particular seemed different then the rest. But they were all different, all completely…weird.

"Kaname-senpai!"

"Idol-senpai!"

"Wild-senpai!"

The fan girls sang. All these names confused me, and I turned to see Kohana bubbling over them as well. Was I the only one that felt strange around these people? I'd had my fair share of hot men, and all of them turned out to be self-absorbed pricks. It was probably, most likely, the same way with these people. Of course they knew they were beautiful. They had freaking girls lining up to greet them when they left to go to school, and I didn't doubt that that knowledge didn't get to their heads.

I was barely aware of a pause in the group of white-clad Night students, but an advancing member snapped me from my reverie and I brought my eyes to his face. He was one of the blondes, spiked hair ravishing his scalp, cool pale skin, turquoise eyes bordered with long, thick eyelashes. Kohana made a fainting sound, and I could hear Kira in the background squealing.

"Idol-senpai!" she said.

He stopped a few feet away from me, unnaturally halting the group he was walking with. Then, shocking me, he took my hand and bowed. My breath caught, my eyes wide; his hand was freezing, like he'd been holding it in a bucket of ice for hours. The group of girls behind me fell silent, the tension suddenly coagulating in the air. I could already feel the glares shooting into my back, burning me. I writhed uncomfortably.

"You're the new student I heard about, right?" He said with a smile.

"Uhhh…" I drawled.

He leaned up, easily able to tower over me with his height. I'd stopped growing at 5'3 thanks to my damn hormones, and this guy was clearly reaching over 6ft. He brought my hand close to his face, surprisingly me by the paler tint to his skin compared to mine. Up to him I actually looked somewhat _normal._

Feeling the brush of his nose on my knuckles, I recoiled and tried to bring my hand back. His grip tightened, but not painfully.

"Your anemic, aren't you?" He questioned in a honey drenched voice, but his lips curled into a frown as if he had smelled something bad.

Discomfort swelled inside of me. I didn't like when people pointed that out, and I wasn't much of a fan of people pressing their nose to my hand either. I bit my lip to stop the sudden fury.

"Hanabusa, enough. Let's go." The orange-haired male spoke, his voice as crisp as autumn leaves.

The blonde smiled and dropped my hand. I brought it to my chest unconsciously, trying to warm it. It felt frozen. The blonde looked over my shoulder and winked at someone, then I heard Kira's wail of embarrassment and excitement.

"See you around, new girl." The blonde said with a wave, then he turned and resumed his position beside the lean, muscular looking man with orange hair, winking and smiling at other girls that shouted his name.

I caught the faint whiff of danger and turned to regard the dark-haired male, whose eyes were as deep as dark pools, unreadable. His eyes lingered for only a split second, then he was gone, whisking elegantly along the path, not as outgoing as the blonde who stopped to speak with other females. Another look, and it was the girl whose hair was a rose color. I felt instantly insignificant.

All these looks. Every one of the Night Class students had looked at me as if I were strange and different and it was insanely annoying. Maybe I smelt bad, I thought. I was sure I put deodorant on this morning.

Soon it was only their backs everyone was looking at, and everyone had begun to babble excitedly to one another. Kohana turned to me and made a squeal. It sounded odd coming from a girl whose hair was in a thick French braid, who had freckles and wore glasses. Not shy at all. Not at all like the students back home. "Aidou-senpai actually talked to you! You're so lucky!" She exclaimed.

"He winked at me, did you see?" Kira came up beside me, nudging me in the side. If I hadn't been so antisocial before, I would have been certain it felt like jealousy wavering off her.

Sazume greeted Kohana; I hadn't even seen her in the crowd. But Kohana smiled and hugged her, and they began to talk. Still feeling out of it, I tugged at Kohana's arm and told her I was going to head back because I was tired. She nodded and I left, leaving the swarm of black to talk amongst themselves. I wasn't even close to dorm when I heard a whistle behind me and orders being fed to the mass of females. So the girl did have a whistle.

Yuuki, no doubt, Cross Academy's guard. It was time for the Day Class to head back. Thankfully I wasn't with them when they began to depart, and I looked at the school the Night Class had disappeared in, wondering why they kept themselves so secret. And why in hell I felt so uncomfortable around them, not to mention why I was upset when most of them had looked at me as if I was a strange alien creature, come form the planet Mars to haunt and evaporate everyone. Well technically they didn't look at me like _that_, but it wasn't exactly welcoming either. I sighed.

So I had met the Night Class. Kohana was right, they were insanely beautiful. But beautifully dangerous. I wondered if I was afraid they'd bombard me with all their smarts, because they were in there because of smarts, right? I laughed at my uneasiness, and returned to my dorm. I undressed, slipped on my nightgown, and went to bed. I didn't hear Kohana come in, but knew she was there after a few minutes, and before she could say goodnight, I was already fast asleep.

**_A/N: Gah! I can't believe i'm able to dish these out when exams start in a matter of two weeks. I am happy, though, for my first fanfic it seems to be going pretty well. Muahaha, which vampire will she, possibly, end up with? Who knows? ...Well, duuh, I do, of course. _**

**_P.s. Tis a secret._**


	4. Plan

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or its characters. I do however own Annabelle Locke.**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

"So you broke a water fountain…" Chairman Cross looked up from a single white sheet of paper in his hands, the sunlight tinting his glasses to a point I couldn't see through them. "…How do you break a water fountain?"

Furious, I looked out the window. "I didn't break it."

Chairman Cross put the paper down, laced his fingers, and leaned forward across his desk. "What if I told you we had witnesses, and that they saw you break it?" He said.

"I'd say they were bloody lying, and then maybe I'd think about beating them up." I answered through my teeth, my cheeks burning.

The headmaster shook his head, "Violence is never the answer."

"It is where I grew up. Now can I please go?" I gestured to the large circular clock on his office wall. "I've been here for over ten minutes."

"But you broke a water fountain."

"I told you I didn't break it!"

The chairman leaned back in his chair, disbelieving.

"It broke by itself because it was old," I clarified. "I simply went up to it and it…broke."

"But that would mean you broke it, wouldn't it?" He asked lightly.

"No! It would mean it broke itself!"

"Annabelle, tell me how your time in Cross Academy has been since your arrival. Do you enjoy it here?"

The sudden change of this conversation startled me, and I became slightly timid. Looking down into my lap I shrugged, toying with my thumbs. "It's alright I guess."

"I heard you skipped your first day, is that true?"

"Do you have any witnesses that would tell you otherwise?" I asked.

The Chairman smiled and shook his head, and I relaxed. My first time coming up here and it wasn't even as bad as I'd expected. Of course I broke the water fountain. The water wasn't flowing right so I kicked the pipe beneath it and liquid came gushing out, now that hallway was off limits to students. I'd been sent up here to take part in my punishment, but the Chairman hadn't given me anything…yet.

"Am I in trouble?" I asked, fiddling with a strand of raven black hair.

It had been two days since I had seen the Night Class, and in that time I gone to school, surprisingly. Kohana brought me downtown for lunch both times, and I had begun to find it less exciting each time. But it was still better then here. At sunset she had tried to bring me back to the Night Dorm to take part in the students usual gathering, in which they oooh'ed and awed over the teenage boys and girls of the elite Night Class. I had denied going both times, feeling uncharacteristically in danger when they were brought up, and simply told her it was because I wasn't feeling well. She'd left it at that and I had gone to sleep feeling strange.

"Hmm." The chairman tapped a finger to his chin and stood, walking around the desk. "Want some tea?"

I quirked a brow. "Does that mean yes or no?"

He didn't answer. The man with light brown hair disappeared through another room, leaving me to listen to the slow, time altering tick of the clock. Confused when he came back and handed me a mug of hot tea, I put it down on the desk and frowned. "Chairman Cross, am I in trouble because I broke the water fountain and skipped the first day?" I said slowly.

His lips twitched. "Not at all, Annabelle. It was your first day, but the fountain, well, I really don't know how we'll replace it. You wouldn't possibly know how?"

I shook my head, black hair cascading over both shoulders. "A simple solution would be to call a repair man. But since we're in the middle of freaking nowhere, I don't see how that is possible." I picked up the hot mug and blew unconsciously on it. The smell of tea was soothing to my nose. Last time I'd had it was at an old family reunion, but Aunt Eileen, my mother's sister, had used a special ingredient, turning it sour, therefore I had thrown it out. I felt particularly pleased that I was drinking tea this morning.

"So how are your classes going Anna? You're not slacking, are you? Would you like me to set you up with a tutor?" Chairman Cross resumed his earlier work before I'd stepped in, which I had done shyly because I hadn't known his take on punishments, and thumbed his way through a sheet of old papers, searching for something.

Slowly I put the mug down and stopped him with a hand, becoming serious. "Cross, I stole a car. I'm here because they thought it best I be around a good influence and I don't know if they are right or anything, but I don't care. I don't want a tutor and to be honest I don't really want to be here."

The chairman leaned away from his papers and sighed, sipping tea from a ceramic blue coffee mug. "There isn't anything I can do about that in particular. I can only make your life here as good as it would have been back home."

I snorted, "Which really wasn't that good."

The Chairman hesitated. "You could take an optional course?" He finally said. "Maybe something you might like from the schools standard schedule…though I'm not quite sure what courses are open so late in the semester. Hold on, let me check."

I held up a hand before he moved from his desk and shook my head, "I really don't think I could handle another class. I'm too exhausted at the end of the day anyway, and besides, I'd probably suck in it too."

"That's not exactly the positive attitude were aiming for here." He settled back down and returned to drinking his tea, absently tapping a finger on the rim of the mug. "I could make an exception for you, if it would make you feel more at home." He said after awhile.

I quirked a brow and took a sip of my own tea. To me it was too hot, so I put it down and folded my arms over my chest. "What kind of exception?"

"Would you like a dorm room to yourself?"

Startled, I had to stop and think about for a long time. At first I thought I'd formed those words out of my own illusions and dreams, but when I found him waiting, I blinked and opened my mouth to speak. Words didn't come straight away, so I bit my tongue and decided that even though the tea was too hot, maybe my voice needed to be unclogged. I took a swig, the searing hot liquid rolling heavily down my throat, making my tongue numb. I smacked my lips and took in a deep breath.

"As much as I'd love that Chairman," I began slowly, wondering why I suddenly didn't have the desire to be alone at night, "Kohana, my roommate, has grown on me. Wouldn't it be better if I was around people, anyway? Seeing as I'm not exactly the social type, wouldn't you want me to talk and make friends with people?"

"It really isn't my decision to make." He said calmly, then abruptly he stood and strolled over to the window, gazing out of it with his hands behind his back.

Thinking of this as a dismissal, I got to my feet and scratched my cheek. After a few seconds of silence I headed for the door.

"And Annabelle," The chairman's voice said behind me. I turned and regarded him curiously. With his back still turned, he continued, but I could hear the smile in his voice. "don't forget your tea."

When I left his office I was laughing quietly to myself, holding the now empty green mug. I brought it to the kitchen and then headed down to the lower levels of the academy, where I met up with Kohana. It was already hitting later on in the evening, so the sun was dipping in its usual quest for sleep. The sky was red when we stepped outside, feeling the warm summer breeze on our faces, and as I had expected all the girls were sweeping their feet towards the Night Class dormitory. I hadn't seen the girl Yuuki or that silver-haired boy since our meeting a few nights ago, but I could see the two outside the gates now, the boy silent and leaning against the wall, the girl shouting orders at the raging females.

Realizing Kohana made a turned to go down that road, I tugged her to a stop.

"Let me guess, you don't feel well." She said, putting a hand on her hip. "Anna, why have you been giving me that excuse these past few days? Are you nervous about seeing them?"

Nervous wasn't really the right idea, but I shook my head, "No, it's just I've been wanting my sleep—"

"That's total …bullshit!" Kohana surprised me by saying; she didn't seem the swearing type. "Is it because Idol-senpai talked to you? If I were in your shoes I'd be there every second of everyday."

"You basically are there every second after school," I pointed out.

"Well that's not the point. Come on, please. Just this once. Yesterday Kira almost made me talk to Ichijou-senpai, and I was so nervous. If you had been beside me I might have."

"Kohana, I am really not up for it." I muttered, taking back my hand. "Maybe another time. But I really just want to get to bed early tonight. Sorry."

Defeated, Kohana slumped away from me. Then she was gone in the massive hormonal teenage fan club, leaving me outside the academy alone, listening to all the squeals carrying over on the wind. After my talk with Chairman, I didn't really want to do anything reckless. So even though the road to downtown was right before my eyes, I shrugged the idea away and clumsily stumbled my way to the Sun Dormitory.

Stressed, I thought. That was why my shoulders felt so sore. I was completely and utterly stressed with this school, and what way to defeat that stress then bringing out your trusty eight dollar pack of cigs? Putting my sack on the ground, I reached in and fished out the blue and white cardboard square, along with my favourite red lighter, and popped the butt of a cancer stick in my mouth. Lighting it only took a few seconds, so by the time I was inhaling the rich, ashen smoke, the bag was back on my shoulders and I was sauntering to the tall, cathedral-like Sun Dorm.

"Smoking isn't allowed here," A small voice said from behind me.

I whirled, surprised. My Ipod fell from my uniforms pocket, and seeing that it was just Susan, the short brunette Kohana had introduced me to two days ago, I bent over and snatched it off the ground, rubbing the screen against my forearm.

"Is that so?" I answered, shoving the Ipod away and plucking the cig from my mouth, looking it over. The air around it grew thick with grey smoke. Blowing blithely the rest of the poisoned air from my lungs, I shrugged and popped the butt back between my lips. "I'll just finish this one off then. No point in wasting it."

"I heard one of the water fountains broke today," Susan continued without pausing, "You're the one that did it, right?"

With a sigh I looked back at the crowd cuddled near the Night Dorm. The gates were open and the white-clad students were filing out to meet their rambunctious crowd. The sudden urge to flee struck me hard in the stomach.

"Walk with me and I'll tell you the story," I ordered, shifting my weight until I was incoherently placing one foot in front of the other.

Susan followed silently.

When we were far enough away from the academy, I turned to her and smiled lightly. "Yeah, it was me."

Quirking a brow at my curled lips, the timid girl asked, "Are you proud of that? You do realize that the classes down that hallway have been moved to the gym, therefore everyone is crowded in one space." She paused, looking down at her brown boots. "You know I'm in one of those classes, right?"

"No I didn't know," I replied carelessly, inhaling on the orange tinted end of the cig. "Sorry if I messed up your day, though. The stupid thing wasn't working properly. I didn't mean to destroy it."

Susan shrugged and stayed silent. Up close the girl was very pretty but plain. I wondered if a ring of eyeliner around both eyes would enhance her ten fold. With a little confidence she and her looks could go far. Her skin was clean, her hair smooth and healthy, her sea salt eyes full of curiosity. It must have been a big effort to come and talk to me like she did with a personality of a scared cat's.

"So," I said after awhile, deciding to break the silence, "how come your not over there?"

She looked up, baffled. "Over where?"

I finished off the cigarette and crushed it beneath my big toe. "Over at the Night Dorm, admiring the students like all the other girls."

"I feel weird whenever I'm there," She admitted meekly.

"You and me both."

Susan looked up at me gratefully, some of the shyness draining from her eyes. "Really? I almost thought I was the only one."

"Not at all," I shook my head and looked over at the advancing Night-Class students. They were well enough away from their fan clubs and were now walking up the paved stairs of the academy, all of them composed and postured elegantly. I shuddered. Thankfully we had found ourselves farther down on the road to our own dorm, therefore the chances of them noticing us were slim.

But on queue with that thought, the blonde that had come up to me before turned and waved. I, startled, turned my back to them and began to walk again, Susan at my heels.

It only took us a few seconds to be within the humble atmosphere of the Sun Dorm, and by that time I was feeling exhaustion tug on my nerve endings. "I'm really tired," I announced, stretching.

We climbed the stairs and stopped on the second floor where mine and Kohana's room was. Susan pointed up with one finger and said, "I got to climb another set. I'll see you tomorrow, well, you know, if you wanna hang out or anything."

Before she turned and vanished, I put my right hand on her shoulder, tapping my left index finger to my chin. Thoughtfully I ran through the plans I had tomorrow, which was very few. Afterwards, I shrugged and let her go. "Want to come downtown with me for lunch?"

Susan smiled faintly. "Aren't you going with Kohana?"

"I could tell her I'm busy I guess. Who cares anyway, it's not like I'm ditching her." I looked down the hall, at the end the door to my room. "Meet me here when you get off for lunch."

Confused, Susan cocked her head to the side, dark brown hair falling over one shoulder. "Why not meet in the cafeteria?"

"I think I'm going to sleep in tomorrow," I replied casually. "So I'll see you tomorrow then. Later."

"You'll get into trouble if you skip." She cautiously told me. "Weren't you already in trouble because of the water fountain incident?"

"The Chairman isn't exactly punishable material. He let me off the hook." Winking, a superior laugh sifted from my lips. "Next time he'll let me off the hook too. All I have to do is act so sad," At that my face dropped: puppy dog eyes. Susan gave out a small laugh. I swirled my index finger in the air once, "I'll have him wrapped around my finger in no time."

Then I waved to her and left the hall, meeting my light blue room with a sigh of relief. The rest of the night went by fairly well. My sleep was dreamless, and I only woke up half way through to make a quick bathroom break. Kohana was snoozing quietly beneath her emerald cotton blanket, and a slow balmy breeze was seeping through the window, carrying with it the fresh smell of maple and pine. The next morning was just as quiet. Kohana didn't wake me thanks to the trusty note I'd left on my nightstand the night before.

_Not feeling well_

It said.

_I'll come to classes after lunch. _

_--Annabelle_

Thanks to that, I was alone when I woke up to a small rapping sound at the door.

"Come in," I called, tossing off the covers and rubbing my eyes clean.

Susan, dressed in the school uniform, timidly stepped in. She took a quick look around and then came over to sit on Kohana's neatly made bed. I got up, went to my closet, and pulled out a two layered skirt, a white tank with a black skull on the chest, and two belts. Without a word to each other I slipped them on and went to the bathroom.

"So where do you want to go?" Susan asked from the door frame, startling me.

I paused half way through applying my eyeliner and shrugged. "Not sure. Guess we'll see when we get there. Unless you know of any good shops we could check out?"

"I know a clothing store. Tank Toxic."

"Been there. Bought a few sweaters the first day." Once finished with my make-up I leaned back and observed my handiwork. Content, I stepped back into the bedroom space and slung my green duffle bag over my shoulders. "Got any good book stores here?"

Surprised, Susan looked up at me. "You read books?"

I laughed at the strangeness of her expression. Back home I had had a whole collection of books spread across my tiny dust collecting room. Hell, I'd had more books there than in a library. With a pang I realized I'd forgotten my favourite book in the basement of my grandmothers house, and wondered briefly if a spider had made itself a new home between its old, torn pages. "Of course I read. Anyone who doesn't read needs a firm kick in the behind."

Abnormally brightened, Susan grinned. "Well in that case, I know a good book store."

We arrived fairly late in the downtown district. Susan made it clear that we only had time to go to the book store until classes started, and she warned me before hand that she would not, could not, be late. I'd given up on trying to pull her to the dark side, and obliged to her terms. The book store was called Little Reader and it was off the main plaza, through a small series of markets. The inside smelt old and woody, but was believingly calm and neutral. It was big despite the word Little in the name, and had two elevating levels. The first floor was where the customer counter was, also an assortment of children and teen books. The above section was a bunch of history and philosophy novels, with a wide assortment of adult graphic novels in which were off limits to us.

Susan brought me over to the teen section, two rows full of tightly crammed, multi-colored spines. She picked one up and showed it to me.

_Understatement of the year_, it read.

"Best book ever," Susan told me. "About a girl breaking up with her boyfriend after he cheats on her with her best friend. Both sad and funny."

Whatever was funny about that situation, I didn't know. But I laughed and nodded to her delight. This seemed to be a haven to Susan, as it was to me of course. She just looked a lot more lively here then she did at school. Perhaps her life was similar to mine and inside she was battling the same things I were.

Eventually she disappeared behind another aisle, searching for a book she wanted to show me. I took this time to look at all the spinal columns in my own row. None of them look exactly interesting. I chose a few and turned them over to read the backs, but learning that they were about unoriginal characters doing unoriginal things, I'd put them back and moved on.

A thick leather bound book caught my eye the second time I was scanning over the shelves, and I withdrew it to find that the back was blank and that on the front, in thin gold hand writing, were the words: Vampires. Myths or Reality?

I flipped it open to view the contents. Turning to a random page, I began to read:

_Vampires are dark devilish things that work their magic at night. Hunting, feeding off the unsuspected, delving on the weak and the innocent. Their teeth, sharp like canines, are strong enough to tear through leather, strong enough to puncture straight through that of a human's neck. Not only are they capable, they are needy and yearning. Beautiful creatures, hypnotizing women to fall into their trap and become their victims, their fragile puppets. Truly monsters, monsters that are far stronger then mortals, far faster and sufficient. The ultimate demon, brought up from hell to reek havoc amongst us. --Tarin Yung._

I flipped to another page.

_The vampire is commonly considered to be one who exists in the state of "living death," literally a re-animated corpse. Some traditions have it that a vampire is a corpse inhabited by an alien demon, others, that it is a corpse in the possession of a sorcerer as a "familiar," (a situation within the realms of black magic) and still others, by far the majority, which describe the vampire as a body possessed by the soul it had in life. Whatever the means of animation, the vampire is one who once lived, died a corporeal death, and then rose from the grave to walk the earth and haunt the living. He inhabits the grave of his burial during the day and roams at night. The purpose of his wanderings is the attainment of that which will maintain his "living-death" state. He seeks blood, the life-fluid of the living, to retain his own vitality. His victims grow emaciated, anemic, and extremely weak; his death usually follows, while the vampire attains a state of "health." Having drunk blood of a living being, the vampire, previously a fleshless and bloodless ghastly figure gains the corporeal qualities of human life and health: extreme strength, the power of speech, the ability to take in food, and to beget children. The vampire also gains vitality through sexual intercourse with the living and children are sometimes born from this union. --Karen Thompson_

"What are you reading?"

I snapped back and focused on reality, startled. Shutting the book, I turned to see Susan clutching a crimson novel with a broken heart on the front. I sighed in relief, unaware of the effect reading those small passages had introduced me too. My heart was thudding painfully in my chest.

"Vampires. Myth's or reality," Susan read aloud, quirking a brow at me when I put the book back. "Do you believe in that kind of thing?" She asked.

"Of course not," I answered her breathlessly. "But I do have a few really good vampire novels back home. They do make for a good story."

"I'm sure they do." Susan held out her book to me. "You should read this. It's really good too. Took forever to find it though. Here take it. I can ask to take it out for the weekend."

"Uhm, thanks." I read the back, not surprised that it was about girlfriend and boyfriend problems.

Time wore on, and soon Susan and I found ourselves back at Cross Academy. It had been a pain leaving the library, I could have stayed in it forever. But Susan didn't want to be late, so with this new book in my hand that she'd taken out for me, we walked casually up the front steps of the Academy, entering it to find the remnants of lunch ending. The bell rung loudly, reverberating off the walls. We said our goodbye's and I went to fourth period English, only to be stopped and screamed at by my teacher Ms. Sung.

"Annabelle what is that you're wearing?" She asked in a tone dipped in acid. "School rules, wear your uniform!"

"Clothes are in the wash," I answered lamely. A few random sniggers came from the circling audience. Ms. Sung's face turned cherry red, and she pointed a long, wrinkled finger to the doorway.

"To the Chairman," She shouted.

You've got to be kidding me. I raised a fine eyebrow and took her in with a glare. "Why, because I'm not dressed appropriately?"

"That's exactly why," the old hag replied.

If I had been this lady's doctor, I would have subscribed a long dose of WELLBUTRIN XL. But since I was only a student, I could only walk out or fuel her anger more.

Since it was me, I decided to do both. "Grumpy bitch," I said, waving my hand and heading towards the door. Students gasped, some laughed, others stayed silent. Luckily I was gone before the teacher could explode, already lugging my way to the Chairman's office…Again.

"I'm here because I'm not wearing school uniform," I told the Chairman when his eyes met mine for the third time this week. I sat moodily in the chair across his desk, and he stopped scribbling on a sheet of paper. A cold cup of tea lay beyond his hand, and I had an insane urge to pick it up, go down stairs, and throw it in Ms. Sung's disgusting face.

I stayed there until sunset, grudgingly explaining my situation to Chairman Cross. He'd heard of my absence this morning, another strike against me. But as I thought, he'd asked me again if I wanted tea and although this time I declined the offer, he brought me some anyway, leaving me un-scolded. Somehow, however, his calm attitude towards things were even more difficult to handle then the punishments I would have received back home. He made me feel small when my grandmother made me feel anger. I sighed when he dismissed me, and left without question.

On my way down I met Kohana, who was looking timid rather then bouncy, and so I asked what was on her mind. She led me away outside of the academy before answering.

"Something big is going down tonight," She whispered, looking around her to make sure that no one was eavesdropping. "Something very, very big."

"Don't tell me you're going to stay up late and finish a project," I replied sarcastically, sitting down on the Academy steps and looking over at the bundle of screaming girls. The possessiveness was so bad here that it was actually starting to grow on me, and I was no longer shocked when all the females were bouncing high off their rocking horses when the Night Class was so close by.

"No," Kohana whacked me in the arm, "silly, that's not it. This morning, since you were sick, you didn't hear what Kira and Seika are planning."

"And what are they planning?" I reached into my bag and withdrew another smoke, popped it into my mouth and lit it.

Kohana paused, watching me inhale the cancerous toxins, before ignoring it and continuing, "You may need to bring your camera, if you have one, cause we're doing an all out mission to snap photo's of the beautiful Night Class. Tonight, at twelve. Hopefully the prefects won't be out, so we'll have all the time we need and all the great opportunities."

My heart lurched, and I chocked on the smoke I'd inhaled. Kohana patted me on the back, looking worried. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"Are you insane?" I breathed, crushing the lit cig beneath my booted toe.

"No, I'm not." Kohana muttered defensively. "And I was hoping you'd come with us. Since you're supposedly badass and all."

"Stealing a car and spying on people are completely different things."

"Not when it's breaking the rules both times! C'mon, please Annabelle." Kohana's eyes glossed beneath her glasses, and her thin lips curled downwards. "It would be so much better if you came along. We're lost without you. You're the one that knows all the--"

"If you haven't noticed, I've been here less then a week. I hardly know the layout."

"We're just going to come around here. Besides, they'll probably be out and about, easy target for our cameras."

I turned to her incredulously. "You don't really believe that, do you? For all you know the Night Class could be FBI trainee's. I heard that government soldiers shoot things they can't see."

"Oh stop that, they're not FBI agents." Kohana tugged pout-fully at my sleeve. "Please Anna. I promise we won't stay out too long. Won't you like the rush? Isn't that the whole reason you stole that car?"

Her ignorant ways of bringing up my one big mistake irked me. I pulled her hand away and turned back to see the Night students leaving their dorm and being greeted once again by a suddenly quiet, two lined row of females. But Kohana was right and I knew it. Knew it from the beginning. I loved danger. This danger may feel a lot different then the danger I'd felt when robbing someone's car, but it was still relatively the same thing.

I turned back to her, defeated. "Where do we meet?"

**A/N: Rawrness. I don't know if i'll be able to get the next one out until later this weekend. Hopefully i'll have time. Anyway, I hate summer. Bleck, the heat --and I know i'm wierd, but I love winter! So yeah. Yay me! D**


	5. Trouble

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or its characters. I do however own Annabelle Locke.**

* * *

**Chapter 5**

"Why are all your clothes so tight?" Kira complained, squeezing on a midnight black T-shirt. It stopped above her belly button.

"You're taller then me," I said, picking up a larger shirt, one with a bands logo printed on the front; I'd used it before as pyjama's. "Try this. It's probably the biggest thing in my wardrobe that's black. And we're going to want to camouflage if we don't want be caught by Yuuki and that other guy."

"You mean Zero." Kohana corrected, looking up from painting a fat blob of black on Seika's toe nail. I hadn't realized this had turned into a sleepover party, and turned to view her quizically.

"Zero what?" I asked, pulling out a black sweater and tossing it onto the bed.

"The other prefect, that's his name. He's in two of my other classes," Seika said, fixing her thick orange hair up into a ponytail. Kohana pulled back, examining her work, then she patted Seika on the leg and stood up.

"Hopefully they won't be around when we are," She said while tucking the nail polish away in her dresser.

My glasses wearing friend had snugly fit herself in my skinny jeans and a long, black turtleneck. Kira had a pair of her own black pants on, but the large T-shirt was mine. Seika was simply wearing a black tank top with the words Toxic on the front in bold, and wore the day classes usual black skirt. I, myself, was in black jeans and now fitting on a black hoodie. I felt as if we were going to rob a bank rather then sneak a peak at the Night Class.

The sun had set a long time ago, and the wind that came openly through my window was cold, a surprising difference from the usual hot air I was used to. The clock flashing on my nightstand said that it was 11: 30 p.m. It was almost time to get going.

The familiar excitement bubbled in my stomach like soda pop, and I had to bite down the urge of squealing to let it all out. By the looks of it, my female companions were also facing the same feeling. Except Kohana. She looked the most frightened. Her face was drained of color, with her mouth in a tight line when she sat back down on her bed, a camera she had received from her dresser on her lap. I would have consoled her if it hadn't been her plan to have me tag along tonight, so I turned to Kira and raised a hand instead. "We're going to need flashlights." I said. "They may be an easy target if a prefect caught them, but without them all we'll be doing is stumbling around in the dark."

"I think that's to risky," Seika objected, laying her full medium size height on Kohana's bed. "Besides, me and Kira have been here along time. We know our way to the Academy by now."

I paused thoughtfully, then shrugged. "Fine, flashlights are off the list. What about the camera? Are you sure it can even pick up the little light we have right now? Take a picture of something to make sure."

Our room light was off. We thought that if it was on and we were not in bed, we'd have someone come snooping up and catch us. Kohana raised the camera and fired off the light. It blinded me for a second, but when I looked at the digital screen there was a clear photo of my messy bed.

"Perfect. We wouldn't want to go through all this trouble and whined up empty handed, would we?" I rhetorically asked.

Seika giggled. "That would be freaking hilarious. We're all ready to take a picture and then Bam, it doesn't even work. Ahah." She plucked the camera from Kohana's hands and took a picture of her. "I'm going to take tones of pictures of Kaname-senpai if we see him."

"No!" Kohana retrieved the camera and held it at arms lengths from Seika's grasping hands. "Ichijou-senpai comes first."

"I think you are all forgetting how beautiful Aidou-senpai is." Kira cut in, seizing up the metallic cam and holding it to her chest. Then she picked up a black bag and shoved it inside. "He is the most worthy of our trip."

God, what had I gotten myself into? I pulled up the hood to my sweater and stepped up to the window. The sky was thick and dark, clear. Pin sized stars ran through its lengths, and the moon was pregnant and full and glowing luminously against the backdrop. There was a tree not too far from the panel of glass, and we'd be more successfully in climbing down with mother natures help then pushing open the front doors to our dorm. I raised the window higher, the cold air wafting in and making my skin prickle with goose bumps.

"Gah, I'm so nervous." I heard Seika complain from behind me. When I looked up she was clutching her stomach and looking green, and Kira was sniggering softly to herself.

"Why?" The blonde asked. "All we're doing is taking amazing pictures of amazing guys. Oh god, hold me back before I faint." She made a swooning noise and then broke out into laughter with her orange haired friend. Kohana stayed silent. "It's a lucky thing we have Annabelle here too," Kira continued. "We'd be dead if it wasn't for you."

Seika sat up from the bed and swatted at Kira's thigh. "Don't say things like that. I don't want to hear about people dieing."

"How about you both hush," I muttered, pointing to the tree. "That's our safest bet. Going through the main door would be stupid. Someone could easily catch us."

"Damn, I'm not good at climbing trees." Kohana mumbled, fiddling with her thumbs on her lap.

Kira shrugged and came up beside me. "Well then you stay here while we go. We'll tell you all about it when we get back."

"No I'm coming!" Kohana objected. "It's my camera you have, so I have to come!"

"Then shut up and let's go."

I moved out of the way so that Kira could shuffle herself over the windowsill. Easily she grabbed onto the branch that scraped at the dorm wall and my window, and even though it was thinning out where her hand grasped, it didn't break when she leaned all her body weight out and climbed towards the trunk. Next I gestured to Seika, who was slipping on her shoes. She clutched at the branch tightly, nervous, but soon was doing the exact same thing Kira was out the window.

"Okay, those two have made it safely to the ground," I said, observing as the two black-clad girls crunched their feet on the grass. "Your turn, Kohana."

Skittishly, she came up to my side and looked out at the two waving girls. "I don't know if this is a good idea, Anna." Kohana mumbled beneath her breath, stroking a hand along the fine wooden window sill.

I quirked a brow at the sudden change of heart. "Why not, it was your idea?"

"No!" She turned to me, anger flaring in her eyes. "It was their idea," she gestured a hand at the two girls, upset, "I just came along because I didn't want to be left out."

"That's your own problem then," I answered, feeling irked that she suddenly wanted nothing to do with this little expedition. I'd come for her sake, and now after all this planning she'd changed her mind? "Are you going or not?" I felt irritated.

The fury drained from her eyes and she looked down, frowning. "Do I even have a choice?" Then she too was out the window and cautiously gripping onto the branch. When she was at the bottom of the trunk, Kira helped her get safely to her feet.

I had climbed trees when I was five, but now that I was much older all my tree climbing abilities seemed to evaporate. But I managed and soon I was on the grass as well, ankles hurting because I'd dropped from some ways up; the inside of my palm stung lightly. Seika helped me straighten up.

"Are you alright?" She asked quietly.

I'd almost forgotten we were outside and lowered my voice. "Yeah, I just think I have a splinter."

"Okay, come on. We don't want to be out too late, or else we'll definitely get caught." Kira whispered, pointing to the academy.

Strangely all the lights were off, and the windows were as transparent and dull as the sky above us. We made our way over quietly, careful not to shift our feet too loudly on the ground. At one point Seika almost tripped over something, and Kira and her had broken out into a fit of giggles. Thankfully no one caught us, and by the time it was exactly twelve, we were on the front steps of the Academy.

Kira withdrew the camera and turned it on. "So," She whispered anxiously, "Are we going to wait out here for someone to come in, or go inside the all mighty Academy at night?"

"Maybe we'll find ghosts," Seika chuckled. "Ohhh, or maybe even vampires."

A cold shudder lodged itself in my spine, and I rubbed my arms to make them warm. Kohana nudged the orange haired girl in the ribs.

"Don't say things like that." Kohana breathed.

"Why," Kira smirked, "Is she scaring you?"

Kohana whirled on Kira, anger filling her once composed face. "No! I'm just nervous, that's all. I don't want to get caught."

"Don't worry, Kohana. If we stick to the plan, we won't get caught." I assured her, trying my best to be helpful in her situation. The first time I'd shop lifted with a few friends, I'd done exactly what she was doing now. "Now come on, let's go around back."

We made our way passed the normal classroom windows. A few of them I recognized. I pulled the hood to my sweater further up onto my head until it felt like a cowl on a cloak, but it made me feel far more comfortable then without it. At night I couldn't help but get that feeling as if we were being watched. Damn those human instincts. The four of us reached the back of the Academy without anyone noticing. A few times Seika had stopped and pointed to things on the roof tops, but we'd dismissed it as just a trick of the eye after since about three minutes afterwardswe weren't shouted at and rushed back to our dorms. Eventually we came to a stop on a cobblestone walk, a fountain glistening gently behind us. The rush of the water was soothing, like rain.

"Okay," Kira looked through the camera, adjusting its focus. "Now do we just wait?"

"If we wait there would be a better chance of us not getting caught. If we could hide somewhere and snap off a few pictures when one of the Night Class students comes out, that would be even better." I said matter-of-factly. I'd done this too much in my life not to be able to write down the instructions for snooping on the back of my hand. I felt like a housed jail-mate.

"What if they don't come out and this is just a waste of time?" Seika complained.

"Shut up, we're going to get a picture," Kira replied bitterly. "They have to come out at some point. I'll wait here all day if I have too."

"Night," Seika corrected. "You'll wait here all night."

"Whatever, same thing."

When I looked around I noticed Kohana cuddled up against the trunk of a tree, a perfect hiding spot if there was a bush in front of her. Casually I made my way over to her, shoving my hands in the pockets of my black sweater.

"That's not the best hiding spot, you know." I whispered, squatting down to become eye level. "You can go back any time Kohana. Once those two over there have snapped off a few pictures we'll leave. But if your scared or anything--"

"I'm not scared!" She insisted, fixing her glasses further up on her nose. "It just feels weird. Dangerous even."

Dangerous fit it perfectly. It did feel dangerous. More dangerous then when I'd run off with a lady's BMW. Even I, Annabelle Locke, felt the need to run. But even if those instincts were hot and fresh in my blood, my brain functioned with far more complexity, battling them until I was intoxicated with lack of judgement.

Smiling, I reached a hand over and patted her shoulder. "Just stay here until we're finished."

Kohana obliged timidly, and stayed with her knees to her chest against the tree trunk.

"What's with her?" Kira asked when I'd come up behind them.

I shrugged and shook my head. "Nerves.." I said, then I pointed to a wide spread of unnameable bushes. "Now lets get out of the open."

For a few more minutes we were still, waiting like army men in the bushes surrounding Cross Academy, hoping to pounce on any unsuspecting Night Class students that traveled this way. But when time wore on and the grounds remained tidy and student-less, Seika groaned and rubbed a hand against her forehead. "This is impossible. What time is it, Kira?"

The blonde checked her wrist watch, but in the darkness all she could see was the vague outlines of it. She shrugged, "I don't know, can't see."

"Maybe one of us should go in there." Seika suggested, taking the camera from Kira's hand. "I call out."

"Me too." Kira said, then with a mischievous smile she looked at me, bright silver eyes flickering in the minimal light overhead. "I think Annabelle should go. After all, you are the campus badass, right?"

Taken aback, I looked back and forth between Seika and Kira, both of whom seemed very happy with the idea of shoving me into the Academy at night. From the corner of my eye, Kohana shook her head.

"That's not fair. You can't just ship her off, Kira!" She protested cautiously.

Seika and Kira both giggled. "Fine, go with her." The blonde said.

Kohana fell abruptly silent after that, looking down at the ground. If I had been her I'd of smacked Kira in the face, and I did have that chance now, of course, but I was suddenly alight with anxiety. My nerve endings were twisting beneath my skin, my mouth having gone dry from when the idea was first brought up. To go inside seemed like the ultimate law breaker. Even after all the things I'd done in the past, this is what really made me nervous. As to why entering a school at night could accomplish such a thing, completely and utterly confused me. But I stood, outstretching my hand towards Seika, who was suddenly wide-eyed and gasping.

"You mean you'll actually do it?" Kira half shrieked.

"No, Annabelle, don't." Kohana pleaded from the side lines.

Since I wasn't getting any help from either of the three girls, and since we'd probably be sitting here all night in the cold, shivering and sniffling, I might as well get this over with now, even if it was by myself. These school girls needed a lesson on swallowing down their nerves and kicking fear in the butt, and although I felt sick to my own stomach, I was their mentor and teaching them was my duty. Plus I still had my reputation to hold on to.

"Give me the camera." I ordered, my eyes on the Academy's back door.

Seika plopped it in my palm, giving me a quick thumbs up. "Good luck," She said. "You'll need it if you get caught."

"Which I won't," I assured her, wrapping the thick black strap around my neck, leaving the camera to bounce unevenly against my chest.

Then there was silence, and I found myself crunching over to the back door. It swelled before my eyes and made my stomach churn, but I grasped the handle and, with a deep breath, began to wrench it open--

"Wait!" A voice called from behind me.

Startled, I whirled to see Kohana, leaning against her knees and panting, out of breath.

"Wait for me," She clarified. Then forced a smile. "I can't let you go in there alone."

"You act like I'm going to die. It's just a school." I said, then pushed the door open a little bit more so that a thick band of black was between it and the wall, a small opening but one we could both get through. "If you really want to come, I won't stop you. But I'm fine going in alone. Honestly, I don't want you to do something you don't want to just because stupid and stupider over there said so."

Kohana shook her head, a thick mass of braided hair coming over one of her shoulder. "No no, I ant to come with you." She said, and then, surprisingly me, slipped through the door.

I followed her silently, frowning because a second ago she had been hiding against a tree, shaken, and now she was displaying a whole new, energized Kohana. But I didn't question her motives, and we carefully found ourselves in the back of the Academy, wrapped in a layer of darkness. It was spookier at night, that was for sure. With the sun filtering through the windows it just seemed like a normal school, now, blanketed in the night, it looked like someone had reached in and taken a scene from a horror movie. Cautiously the two of us made our way to the main halls, stopping briefly to make sure we weren't headed in the wrong direction.

"No I'm sure it's this way," Kohana whispered beside me, pointing straight ahead of her. I saw absolutely nothing. "I usually come this way to study hall."

So I followed Kohana's mental map, and soon we wound up near the front doors, looking at the pairs of staircases leading up to the classrooms upstairs. The lower level had been completely empty, and so our safest bet was that the Night students were housed up there somewhere. But those staircases were an anxious fret to climb, and we both wondered if maybe we should turn back and head out. After a few seconds I straightened my shoulders and placed one foot on the slow, elevating level. Kohana gripped my elbow, and when I looked her face was drawn and pale.

"Just wait here for me." I told her quietly, unhooking her fingers from my sweater. "I'll be back in two minutes. Not even. I promise. Then we can both run out screaming and scare the daylights out of Kira and Seika."

A wary laugh sifted from the brunette's lips, and she nodded and pulled her hand back. "I'm sorry." She apologized.

"Don't worry about it. You're braver then those two, they couldn't even come in here." I gave her a half crooked smile and turned to the suddenly impossible looming stairs in front of me. I was only briefly aware that my chest was aching, that my heart was ripping at my lungs.

Just calm down, I told myself, then waved lamely at Kohana. "Remember, two minutes. I won't be long."

Her large brown, glass covered eyes disappeared when I turned the first corner on the upper level. I had to stop to quiet my breathing, but even then my head was swimming awkwardly, making me dizzy. Nothing in the world told me why I felt this way, why I was constantly on edge, waiting for something to pounce out from behind a classroom door. It felt as if I were walking the hallways of Frankenstein's castle, waiting to encounter a beast of some sort. It was unintelligible and lame, and I needed to stop over reacting before my heart fell out of my mouth and bounded off down the corridor.

Moonlight streamed through the intervals of windows, and each time I passed one I looked out to see if anyone was on the grounds below. When I passed in front of a certain window, the outside of it displaying perfectly the front of the academy, I wondered if the person I'd seen my first night here had laughed at how stupid I must have seemed. Small and insignificant were my first thoughts, then strangely I thought edible. I continued cautiously, making sure my foot-steps were as quiet as could be, hoping that my stealth would kick in and I'd blend with the walls. Camouflaging while wearing all black comforted me, especially since my long hair matched my shirt, and my hood was pulled as far up as possible. I almost let out a long breath when I turned another corner--

Then I heard something.

Foot-steps?

Having my heart stop, I whirled around and froze in place, waiting to see a zombie emerge from the darkness that followed me.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing. Either this place was infested with ghosts, or I was losing my mind. But thinking that over, how stupid could I possibly be? People must be walking around up here, obviously. It wasn't as if this school was bodiless at the moment. I wondered if Kohana was having as good a time as I was.

Two minutes, my brain reminded me. I didn't want to keep Kohana waiting. If I had been her, I wouldn't have wanted my only presence gone and would have run back out to Kira and Seika. Maybe she did do that. I wouldn't be mad, I'd understand. It would be in her best interest to go back. I could handle myself, but her, well, she didn't exactly strike me as the leave-everything-up-to-me type.

The camera clicked absently in my hand, and when I looked at the picture it had taken, I wasn't surprised to see that it was of the wall. Damn finger, I cursed, releasing my index finger from the trigger. Now, I thought, I'd bloody better find one of these kids before I lose my--

Either I wasn't feeling well, or I was feeling exactly how I was supposed to right now. Chills shocked me, flooding my blood. I felt strange, wary. My instincts were burning into me, scorching me. I turned, quickly, losing my balance and stumbling back.

And there, having been behind me, was one of them. Dressed in all white, eyes bright and turquoise like mine, fair hair ravishing his scalp.

It was the blonde from earlier, I realized. Still, the throbbing in my chest didn't abate like I'd thought it would, and I raised the camera to my face.

"Say cheese," I breathed, the quietness of my voice shocking me. The camera flashed, stealing his image in the secrecy of it's film, and then I was grinning, wide, aware that I'd just accomplish what I'd come here for. I truly did feel like a fox in a henhouse.

Cold fingers wrapped around my wrist, yanking it back and away from my face. The camera slipped from my clammy hands, but the blonde reached out and grasped it carefully in his long, pale fingers.

"Ah, I thought I smelled something." He said, voice boyishly dipped in honey.

I turned to meet the eyes of my captor, whose eyes were a deep rich orange like his hair --another Night student. Gasping, I tried to both retrieve the camera and break free of the grip that now felt like cooling iron.

"I remember you," The blonde boy said, his eyes half-amused. He leaned the camera away from my reaching hand, and then stepped around until he was closer to the side the orange haired male was. "You're the new girl on campus. Annabelle-chan?"

"Hanabusa," The male said behind me, his chest rumbling against my back. It sounded like a warning.

A warning for what? A small voice questioned worrisomely in my head.

My breath caught when the blonde, Aidou, leaned forward. At eye-level, those eyes seemed mesmerizing. The scent of both males was making my head hurt. It was sweet and nonhuman, unnaturally luring. Like a metal hook flashing in an ocean. Cool breath touched my cheek, and Aidou smiled when I flinched.

"Didn't I tell you, Akatsuki," He murmured, "She smells bitter."

Painfully, I felt a sting in the imprisoned palm, and then Aidou was holding a small sliver of wood between his index and forefinger: the splinter I'd received from crawling down the tree outside my dorm window.

"But this," the blonde purred, and for a moment I didn't know if it was just my eyes, or if had been real, but each of his irises turned unnaturally red, "this smells so good."

I didn't care, nor did I want to know, what he was talking about. I'd gone from searching to being held captive in a matter of seconds, and oddly it felt like that time I'd been held back and restrained by the police officer. I didn't like it. There was only a limited amount of self defence moves I had swimming in my head, but with those I was able to successfully get through the next few actions.

I heeled the orange-haired male, Akatsuki, in the foot, then brought my free arm twisting down into his gut, where my elbow would have surely struck beneath his ribs. But that body felt abnormally hard beneath those clothes, and it hurt. Hard like diamond. But the fingers slipped from my wrist anyway and I whirled to face both of them, out of breath and angry. Unfortunately it didn't seem as if my violence surprised or even hurt the guy, he just watched benignly, almost bored.

"Don't you know how dangerous it is to be out at night, Annabelle-chan?" Aidou asked quietly, raising up to view the camera. He clicked into the mainframe and chuckled at the picture I'd taken. "I do look beautiful, don't I? And I'd hate to delete this, but we don't want you disobeying rules, do we?"

All this hard work drained away in a matter of one second when he finished the touches in removing the picture of him from the camera. I could feel the tension in my arms, the burning in my eyes as I glared at them both. "Give me back the camera." I hissed through my teeth.

"Ah, don't get angry. We're only following--"

I cut the blonde off with a shake of my head. "Give me the damn camera."

He chuckled, advancing suddenly towards me. Startled, I backed up until I was against a wall, breathless and wide-eyed.

For some reason these people scared me. Fear was welling up in the bits of my stomachs and screaming; it felt like a butterfly cage.

Aidou's hands came hard against either side of my head, the camera crushed easily between his pale fingers and the wall. I watched, horrified, as the bits of metal seeped from his finger tips and collected in shards on the floor.

"Annabelle-chan, it would be wise to keep that attitude to yourself here. Who knows, you may say the wrong thing and then," He leaned forward, cold oxygen from his lungs burning a spot on my neck, "oops, there goes all your blood."

"Hanabusa, enough. Let's go." Akatsuki said, running long fingers through his silky flame-colored hair. He looked particularly irked.

"So soon? That's no fun." Aidou murmured, forcing the full intent of his eyes on me. "What blood type are you, Anna-"

"Back off," I muttered to the blonde, feeling the fury replacing the once nervous. This only reminded me of a time a boyfriend of mine had expressed his over possessiveness, and had snapped and almost beaten me because I'd stayed around my male friends. Of course I made short work of him, but here, right now, I felt completely and utterly vulnerable. So open and naked that I wanted to fall and curl up. But I couldn't. I wouldn't.

Gritting my teeth, I narrowed my eyes. "I don't know how you know my name, but back off. I'm not afraid to kick or punch you. I'll even bite you if I have too."

Strangely he chuckled at the last part, leaning in so that his lips nearly grazed the skin of my neck. My breathing stopped again, my lungs aching. I was never good at staying calm when people were around my neck, some over sensitive nerve endings twisted under there, and I always became squeamish or weak when they were touched. A weakness entered my knees, my cheeks flashing red.

"Will you bite me?" Aidou murmured, "Or…will I …bite… you?"

A whistle sounded hard and strong in my ears, making them thrum deafly for a few minutes afterwards. Before I knew it was I was on the ground, no longer forced against the wall with the intimidating presence. My head spun, trying to fit together what had happened. When my eyes refocused I saw the two white-clad students farther away from me, near a window. Beside me was that girl, Yuuki, helping me get to my feet. But I swatted off her hands and leaned against the wall for support, unable to think, barely able to breathe.

Resentfully, I glared at the blonde boy. But his eyes were no longer on me, they were looking _beyond _me, towards something _behind _me, and when I looked, beside Yuuki, was the tall, chocolate haired Night student. Evidently he looked far older and wiser then the other two, and carried about him something of a stronger demeanour.

"You know it's prohibited to be out at night!" Yuuki said, snapping me back to reality. Her voice was masked with worry, not at all angry. Her eyes were looking me over, searching for something. In her hand was a long metal rod. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

I tried to clean my head in order to think of some kind of response, but came up with nothing. My eyes took one full picture, snapping like a camera would.

A camera.

I looked back to the pile of shards of metal on the floor and then back at the blonde boy who had, so easily, destroyed it. But how could he have? What was going on?

"Annabelle?"

That familiar voice made my head turn. Coming down the opposite way was Chairman Cross. Rich waves of relief filled me, slowing my heart gradually. I would have run into his arms if I hadn't suddenly felt self-conscious and small.

"What are you doing here?" His voice was as serious as I'd thought, so I wasn't surprised. I turned my eyes to the floor, unable to look him in the eye.

"She was taking pictures," A cold, rich voice said from behind me. When I looked to claim the owner of it, those deep brown eyes were locked onto mine. The male coming up behind Yuuki was intimidating, it felt, suddenly, as if his very presence was undermining me. "Aidou," Then they were gone, and it felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted and placed on the blonde boy, who yelped and rubbed at the back of his head. "I'm sure you didn't scare her too much."

"N-No, Dorm leader Kuran." Aidou stammered.

The world melted around me. I felt so lost, so different. The one instinct in me was flaming and raging like it never had before. All three of these men were sending my body strange, mixed signals. I wanted to run, I wanted to kiss one, I wanted to smell that strange scent again. Bewildered, I swallowed hard, looking around to see that the Chairman was gauging my reaction, a frown turning his lips low.

And then I was flying, or at least it seemed like I was with the adrenaline coursing through my veins. I focused on keeping one foot in front of the other, while making sure I didn't stumble on anything when I ran.

"Annabelle!" The Chairman's voice carried, but I ignored it and pushed forward until I was at the stairs and jumping two at a time. Kohana wasn't there at the bottom, and I was strangely overcome with a worry that I'd never see her again, that she'd disappeared when id met those two night students. By the time I was out the back door and in the cold, night air, the sky above me fanning out in thick navy streaks, my lungs were sore and I tasted metal in my mouth.

"Anna!"

Kohana came across the gardens quickly, then stopped when she saw that I was empty handed and extremely, ghostly, pale.

"What happened, are you okay?" She asked quickly.

Not noticing the other presences behind her, I gripped both her arms and looked her straight in the eye, large brown eyes looking back. "Where's Kira and Seika?"

"Th-they got caught by Zero," She stuttered. "I-I got worried about you and told Yuuki that you were up there. Why, what's wrong?"

Strangely relieved about hearing that the other two were safe, I shook my head, wanting to kneel in the grass and fall asleep. But the events of what just happened kept coming back ten fold, pounding mercilessly in the inside of my head. Grabbing Kohana's clammy hand, I began tugging her back to our dorm.

"I'll tell you everything tomorrow, I swear." I breathed. "Let's just get back before sunrise."

* * *

**A/N: W00t! School ends in one week! Me so happy! I would dance around if my room was big enough ...curses smallness of room. **

**Anyway, there's speculation that this may turn into an AidouXOC fic. Well, not everything is as it seems. Muahaha. Maybe, or maybe not. Who knows? Seeing as I hate when characters fall in love with someone in the first few chapters, it may take awhile to figure it out. Dun dun duuuuunnn.**

**But enjoy it nonetheless! I'll try to update as soon as I can! Exams are cruel! D;**

**Oh and I forgot. Since I'm such a fruit, I decided to draw Annabelle with my...Ahem...uhm..excellent drawing abilities. **

**.. Since Fanfiction won't let me post pictures, I'll just go on and give you all a URL so you can see for yourself.**

**Url:** **/albums/n141/glistening-soul/img097.jpg**

**Kay, so, fanfiction is being stupid. Just put in photobucket . com at the front of that small chunk of URL then. **


	6. Yuuki

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or its characters. I do however own Annabelle Locke.**

* * *

**Chapter Six**

With a pang I realized that it was morning. The sun was sending large shafts of light through our one open window, lightening up the small of our blue room. Kohana's bed was unmade and oddly shaped, a surprise to me, of course. Then I noticed it was because there was a human-shaped lump beneath the covers, and upon seeing my roommates thick brown hair covering one pillow, I realized that it was Kohana, sleeping.

When I looked at the clock it was reaching 7a.m.. Usually Kohana, at this time, would be bouncing off the walls and waking _me _up instead of the other way around. And I was more then startled because she was snoozing still, small shallow breaths raising the emerald comforter.

"Kohana?" I said in a small voice, shocked when it came out raspy and choked. I put a hand to my forehead and it was warm. That's when I noticed that I was sticking gruesomely to my nightgown, its fine fake silk glued to my skin. I tugged at it and pulled the blankets from me, standing up only when I'd stayed there for a few more minutes, baffled. "Kohana?" I tried again.

She groaned, turned on her side, and curled up. Unable to live with the fact that I was sweating beyond comprehension, I slipped into the bathroom and showered.

The hot water washed away all the tension in a moment. If I could have stayed under that showerhead all day, I would have. It was both relaxing and pleasant, burning away a certain strain in the pits of my stomach. My fingernails were dirty, and I cleaned them out until they were satisfyingly pink. Then I washed my hair and stepped out.

Kohana was awake when I returned to the room, clad in a pink towel. She was rubbing the sand from her eyes and yawning, and when she saw me she greeted me with a smile. My own greeting wasn't as pleasant. Somehow I had gone from being exhausted to viper-styled venomous. Today was not a good day for me to be up and about. Speaking of which, I was still confused about why Kohana was still in her pyjama's.

I gestured to her nonchalantly, quirking a thin black brow. "Is there a reason why I'm awake before you?"

Almost immediately she broke into a fit of laughter. "It's the weekend, idiot."

That bit of information startled me, and I walked to the window to see the lack of students on the path leading to the school, confirming Kohana's words.

I rubbed the back of my head and glanced at her. "It must be just me then. I seem to have lost my inner calendar. I swear we had another day of school left before the weekend started."

"Nope." Kohana leaned back against her bed, stretching. "So," She began furtively, her large brown eyes watching as I sat down on the edge of my mattress.

"So what?" I questioned bitterly after she refrained from going further into whatever it was she was getting at.

"So…what happened last night?"

With a blow, the events came stretching over me in a hazy fog. I recalled wandering the ground with Kohana, Seika and Kira, getting chosen to venture into the unknown territory of the Academy after dark, and being suddenly held captive by two Night Class students. Swallowing, I rubbed my temples and lowered my head, feeling faint. Was this the reason I hadn't felt so good this morning? Did my brain really turn on me and make me forget those things only a few hours ago?

Groaning, I laid back, looking at the pearl white ceiling above me. I was speechless. Was it a good thing to tell Kohana? Should I lie to her? I don't know why the thought of lying to her formed in my head, but it was there, strong and hard and tempting. I chewed at the inside of my cheek abstractedly.

"So?" She pressed, getting impatient. "You can't tell me nothing happened. I saw the way you looked yesterday; you were terrified. And," She looked at the top of her dresser as if seeing something invisible. "You didn't come back with my camera."

"It was confiscated," I blurted out instantly. Sharp stings seared into my chest, flaring it into ignition. Why was I lying? It wasn't as if anything completely terrible happened yesterday. It was only by accident I met those two guys... and only by accident the blonde one acted so oddly, and that by mistake he crushed her mechanic contraption into tiny silver shards so easily --I stopped before my brain over reacted, scratching at the inside of my elbow. "Yuuki caught me exploring, and I don't know, I must have freaked out. I thought she was something else, so I dropped the camera and fled. No doubt she has it somewhere. It's prohibited to be there and take pictures of the Night Class without their permission, isn't it?"

"Yes…" Kohana said slowly, sceptically. I could see the questions flaring in her eyes, but planned to stick to my story down to the last lie...no truth. It was the truth, I told myself.

But it really, really wasn't.

"So what do we have planned for today?" I asked, clearly trying to change subjects.

It didn't work. "You know Kira and Seika are going to want to know what happened." Kohana pressed.

"Is that a warning? Should I lay low for a bit, then?"

There was a long pause.

"No."

"Good," I stretched and sat up, searching with my eyes for a brush. When I spotted one on the dresser, I plucked it up and began to untangle my hair. "I was thinking of going back to the library today."

Perking up from her otherwise thoughtful state, Kohana frowned and inclined her head. "Library? When did _you_ go to the library."

Unfortunately, yesterday, when I had gone with Susan, Kohana hadn't been invited. In fact, my roommate had thought I was sick, I'd set up a note and everything.

"My first day here," I lied.

"Oh."

Full of secrets, I grudgingly thought, returning to the bathroom to fix up my hair and pour on my make-up. I didn't know why the thought of lying was so strong in my head. Kohana had stuck with me since my first day here, and now I was lying through me teeth. Badly, too, since her face was as sceptic as an owl's.

But I had a very good reason, I told myself, I'd lied since I was ten. But why did I feel so bad seeing Kohana's disappointed face more then I did other peoples back home? I was so confused. Yesterday had been more or less the weirdest day of my life. One thing I did learn from it, however, I had to stay away from the Night Class. Even if it took all my effort in prying Kohana's fingers from my arm when she wanted to go see them, I'd find a way out. They were both intimidating and freaky, and I didn't know why, but I felt all nervous when they were mentioned, or even when I brought them up myself.

I shuddered and returned to the living space. Kohana was up and dressed in her normal school attire, fixing her hair into two French braids instead of one. Her glasses were perched high on her nose, her expression calculating.

Without a word to each other I dressed in a white spaghetti strap tank and skinny jeans. I realized some of my hangers were empty, and reminded myself to ask for my clothes back when I saw Kira again.

Then I sighed, and with a shrug in Kohana's direction, perhaps to try and quell her curious attitude, I wrenched open the door with one thought in mind: disappear and go into town, maybe go and ask Susan if she wanted to go again.

But I froze, dead and locked in the center of my door. Before me was Yuuki, hands perched on her hips, expression serious. Her lips were thinned out, a sign that she was clearly not here of her own volition, and her eyes were completely set on my face. She wasn't that much shorter then me, probably around the same size as Susan, which I'd guessed to be 5'0.

"Yes?" I asked when she didn't speak. Kohana came up from behind me, curious as to see who I was speaking too, and then waved.

"Hi, Yuuki," She greeted with a smile.

The prefect didn't remove her eyes from me. It was as if they were searching for something, something to give me away if I were a criminal. And again they lowered to my neck. Suddenly self-conscious I turned to Kohana and whispered a good-bye, shutting the door behind me so that both me and the prefect were alone in the hallway. Somewhere downstairs I heard a girl giggle, and a few others scream contentedly.

"What do you want?" I muttered bitterly, suddenly wishing I'd melt into a puddle on the ground, become apart of nothingness.

"The chairman would like to see you," She said, grabbing a hold of my wrist. "About yesterday night."

I pulled free of her easily, crossing my arms over my chest and glaring. The fury in me rose again. "Nothing happened last night, I don't know what you're talking about. Both of you are delusional."

"This is no time to play games," She replied to my sarcasm, her own anger flaring in her large, chocolate eyes. But there was something else; worry, maybe? "Please just come with me to see the chairman."

"And if I say no?"

Her mouth dropped, her voice not coming as quickly as I'd thought. Maybe if I'd been more friendly to her, she'd of replied with some type of sarcastic insult. But clearly the both of us didn't like one another. Or maybe that was just me that didn't like her.

"Fine," I said, heading down the hall. "I'll go."

I didn't truly feel like seeing the chairman after what happened last night, but knew it was inevitable either way. Sooner or later I'd have to face him because I had, undoubtedly, crossed over the rules to this school. Better meet him sooner then later. I knew from first hand experiences the effect of putting things off.

We walked in utter silence from the girls dorm, passing by the boys on our way out. No one was in their halls, but girl's hall was littered now and again with giggling females who were hanging out with their friends. I didn't understand the need to be up so early. Hell, I'd be sleeping in later if I hadn't thought of it as a week day and decided, since I'd already showered, that I could make a good start downtown.

Outside the air was balmy and pleasant, brushing against my skin with soothing, caressing hands. The sky was a clear azure, and the sun overhead was a bright yellow blob glowing merciless and mighty against it.

"Why did you go to the Academy yesterday at night?" Yuuki asked suddenly, her eyes, when I glanced at her startled, were on the ground, on her feet.

Even though that question was as harmless as a fly, I shoved my hands into my pockets and bit my lips, urging that suddenly flaming rage back down into the pits of my stomach. Trying to sound as nice as possible, I muttered, "It's none of your business. I'll tell the chairman, but not you."

"Right."

When I looked back she was thoughtful and not looking at me. If I hadn't known any better, I'd thought that was a small tinge of guilt forcing itself into me. To be completely honest, this girl wasn't even as bad as I took her to be. Maybe it was just my lack of judgement, but she really didn't resemble someone of the I'm-better-then-you attitude.

It's because she resembles the law in this place, I reminded myself coldly. Me and the law didn't mix, and automatically I had assumed we would not mix either.

The next few minutes was absolute silence. It was awkward and thick, and made me extremely uncomfortable. But eventually we made it into the academy, which was just as silent as it had been outside. She led me up the stairs, through the hallway I'd been to yesterday, and again up another set. I had to admit, being here after the incident yesterday wasn't favourable. I got cold chills every time I passed a window, or saw a corner between two walls, expecting to see tiny shards of Kohana's camera cuddled up there.

Honestly I'd never been more freaked out as I had yesterday. Those two…no,_ three_, counting the dark-haired male that came to my rescue with Yuuki-- even though extremely beautiful, induced fear on me. My once badass persona had crumbled in a matter of seconds when confronted with them.

Dammit, shut up Anna, I scolded myself. There was no time to be afraid. I had thought I'd branded that into my mind before I left my disgusting neighbourhood.

"Here we are," Yuuki's voice shattered the silence after so long, pulling me feverishly from my thoughts.

I looked at the familiar chairman's office door and sighed, suddenly shy. I didn't know how he'd take this once incident in particular. I'd broken a water fountain, skipped the first day of school --not to mention a whole morning yesterday, and now I had fouled the one big rule of the whole Cross Academy records of law. I'd soiled it under my boot as if it had been a bug.

Aversely, I pushed open the door to see the chairman at his desk, fingering through a book. When he looked up, I knew from his expression that this wasn't going to be a pleasant visit. I held the door open, waiting for Yuuki to follow. When she didn't, I glared at her and closed it so that both me and chairman Cross were alone. If I had a choice, surprisingly, I'd of rather Yuuki come with me, since I suddenly felt small and child-like. Maybe if someone was here to help hold this weight, I wouldn't be so guilty.

He leaned back in his chair when I came to sit at the green couch in front of his desk, opposite it another, a glass table in the middle. Silent, that was the best thing for me to be. Even though I had once shouted profanities at my other school teachers, here, in this room, sealing my mouth as if it had been glued shut seemed the only sane action, even when I knew from past experience that chairman Cross wouldn't take out a ruler and slap me over the knuckles.

Instead he, too, chose to be silent. Thoughtful and calculating he was, while I ducked my head beneath my long, raven black hair, hoping it was enough to shield me from being chided by him.

It must have been a whole five minutes of nothing before I clenched my teeth and looked at him. "Look," I began slowly, hearing my voice as if it was said by another person, "I didn't mean to do all that. It just sort of happened. I know I broke your biggest rule, and I know what I did was wrong, but I had to take a picture. Just that, a simple, stupid picture. I didn't think I'd get into so much trouble just because of that. I swear there are girls here that take pictures of each other all the time, and just because I went and broke that rule…" I paused to rethink. "Just because…" I frowned, struggling. "I understand what I did, but I mean nothing happened. Well except that…" My words clogged as if they had been left out in a blizzard. Palms sweaty, I looked out the window, defeated.

He had gotten me good. I knew with startling comprehension that his whole silent demeanour was just so that I'd blurt it all out, everything. Spilled the beans until I was just an empty sack of confused female, willing myself to disappear out the window.

"Did anything else happen?" He asked, concerned.

Baffled, I shook my head. "No. I just met two Night Class students who talked to me and took away my camera --I mean Kohana's camera."

Was that relief on his face?

"I hope you realize that this cannot go without punishment, however adverse it may be." The chairman said, standing up from his chair and walking up to the window. He cast a human-shaped shadow against my face. "I was thinking you could help clean the cafeteria after lunch."

My mouth went dry, but not because of the consequence he was bestowing upon me. Startled, I asked, "You mean, you're not going to send me away?"

My own thoughts must have muddled his concentration on the outside world, he turned and regarded me questioningly. "Of course not. Why would I do that?"

"Uhm, maybe because I just defied the biggest rule on campus," I blurted, feeling my cheeks go red. I stood and bit at my lip, unaware that my skin was tingling, that I was getting frustrated with this conversation. Why wasn't he yelling at me? Why was he standing there so perfectly calm and neutral? "Maybe because I was wandering these halls at night," I continued, my voice raising, "and because I was going to take a picture of one of the infamous Night students, who by the way are completely freaky, and maybe it might also occur to you that I hate it here! Why can't anyone see that? I'm not supposed to be in an environment like this. I've made friends with people, and now I'm spilling my guts out to the principle of the school," I didn't know when it suddenly turned self loathing, "and yesterday I was completely scared out of my mind even though all I did was try to take a picture of one of them! And I'm never scared of anything. Nothing. I'm supposed to be hard-core Annabelle, the teenage drop out."

Abruptly I sat down, holding my head in my hands, feeling it throb. I just wanted to run away and hide in a ditch. The chairman came to my side and kneeled, his hand on the couch's arm. His face was disbelievingly soft and understanding, as if he knew what I was going through. He knew nothing about me. But the words continued to flow, and I kept spilling myself further, bleeding out everything that had been in my head a week ago when I'd arrived. How jail had been upsettingly swell compared to the living conditions of my grandmothers house, how I'd ditched school along time ago, how I'd run from home when I was thirteen. And the chairman soaked up all this information like a sponge, nodding and tending to me like a father would.

When I was finished, I sat there exhausted. Through all of it I'd managed to stop the lump in my throat from turning into tears, and when I looked back at him he was smiling, a sincere smile, a warming smile that made a replica of itself on my own lips.

"It would be wise if you realized that your friends here are you friends because they like you, Annabelle," He said softly. "There is nothing wrong with finding good in the heart of evil. Now, would you like some tea?"

A sound came from my lips; a laugh? I shook my head. "No, chairman, I think I'd rather go back to my room. Or," I looked at him pleadingly, "If I'm allowed, I'd like to go to that downtown district, you know, just for a little while."

His face was serious again, but only for a moment. I had a pretty good idea that it wasn't because I was in trouble for my misguided ways, because he was suddenly thoughtful. Then he smiled and stood up. "Certainly. Unfortunately it wouldn't give the other students a good impression if you went without consequences, so Annabelle, the cafeteria is all yours after lunch."

Grudgingly I nodded, but couldn't help but feel significantly better. I hadn't explained myself for a long time, and now that I had gotten some of the weight, not all of it, but a little splinter of it off my chest, I was more relieved then bummed because I'd been given a measly punishment.

"Thank-you, chairman Cross." I said, getting to my feet.

"Don't thank me. As your headmaster I am bound to help my beautiful students."

I thought it best to leave before his once serious demeanour turned kooky. Outside I found Yuuki staring at me with big brown eyes, serious but not serious all the same. I don't know how long we stayed staring at each other, silent, waiting for the other to speak. The urge to just turn and flip her the bird was flaming inside me, propelling me to be rude. But I shoved it down with one of my more casual sighs and tried to hold onto the more content feelings I'd been introduced to after the talk with the chairman. For once, I actually smiled.

"You know, I don't think we've actually been introduced properly," I surprised myself by saying. Not only did that startle me but it also seemed as if my body was working against me. My hand was raised to meet hers in a more American greeting. "The names Annabelle Locke. I'm a late transfer student."

There was a short silence, but then she nodded and smiled, her originally downcast disposition lightening. Her small hand clasped mine and we shook.

"Yuuki Cross." She replied.

"I heard. You're the prefect that runs around here with that guy Zero, right?" My choices of hinting at starting a conversation were scandalise to me. It felt like I was trying to converse with a pigeon. Not that Yuuki resembled a bird at all, just that I, in all honesty, didn't want to have a conversation with her. Another part of me didn't want to be her enemy either.

"Yes. We're the guardians of Cross Academy." She answered, her lips still curled. It seemed she didn't mind burying a few old hatches as well.

"So then, you're Chairman Cross's daughter?"

"Yup."

"Hmm. Well, I guess I learn something new every day." I laughed unconsciously to myself, then regarded the chairman's door with an odd sense of relief. "He's a good man then, your father. You're lucky."

"Thank-you. He tries his hardest to help anyone he can." Yuuki followed my eyes to the door, and her smile vanished for a split second only to be replaced with a fresher one. "I need to talk with him too."

"So I'll get going," I offered quickly, picking at any chance I could to leave this brightly lit hallway. An awkward atmosphere was an unfavourable atmosphere. "See you around, I guess."

"Yeah." She moved and put her hand on the doorknob, then paused. "Anna," She said as soon as I was about to turn and hurry myself out, "Please don't walk around at night. It's dangerous."

Again with the worry. Who was she to tell me what I should or should not do? Throwing my suddenly broiling rage out the window, I nodded. "Don't worry, I don't plan on it."

"Oh good. Then see you."

Yuuki flashed me a smile and then vanished inside the chairman's office, where I heard him wail cheerfully and her make this odd, confused sound as if she were suddenly being embraced. Slowly, I slinked my way back downstairs and found Susan outside the Academy, sitting beneath a tree with a book open on her lap. She waved me over when she saw me, and I sat down beside her quietly.

Too much was happening and it made me feel full of dread, like a knot was slowly growing in my system. Thankfully, around Susan and the chairman, I had some sort of peace. I welcomed her silence with open arms, leaning my head back against the trunk of the tree while she flipped leisurely through her book. When she stopped and book-marked a page, I was staring bitterly at the large, dark brown gates of the Night Class. Straight down my line of vision it was staring back like a blinking light, saying 'Look at me! Look at me!'. I wanted to set it on fire.

"So, I heard you got into trouble by Chairman Cross." Susan jumped straight into the conversation without a thought of hesitation. "How'd it go?"

"I have cafeteria duty." I admitted flatly. "Won't that be fun?"

Susan laughed. "I'm sure you'll be ecstatic when you meet the cafeteria lady. She's a very happy camper --just try to ignore my sarcasm here if it makes you feel any better."

"Not likely." I began to pick my way around the grass surrounding us, plucking each fine strand of green from its rooted home and tossing it away like a child would when bored. "But at least it's not as bad as being shipped off, I guess. Or going to jail. Ha, imagine that. Jail because you ventured out at night, met these extremely hot guys in a dark corridor of your school, and had one of them all up in your face, who easily crushed a camera between his fingertips and--" I stopped.

Turning, I measured Susan for a reaction to all of this. For some reason my words were just filing out of my mouth today. It had been so easy to lie to Kohana in the morning, and probably wouldn't be hard to lie if Seika of Kira came trotting around the bend to greet us, but with the chairman and Susan, it just felt normal. As if I were talking to a group of my close-fitting friends from home. Susan's face was neutral and she was listening intently, curious but not butting in to take part of the discussion.

She was waiting for me to finish.

"And yeah," I muttered, feeling strange. Was I losing my mind? "Don't tell anyone what I just said." I hadn't even completely told the chairman what had happened last night, why suddenly did I feel so comfortable with Susan?

"Don't worry. I won't." She said with a smile.

"Good. Or I may have to beat you."

I laughed at her suddenly straight face, and then stood and helped her up. "I'm kidding," I told her. She rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Yeah, I know. I'm not that dimwitted." She said, clutching the black book to her chest.

That reminded me. I wanted to go back to the library today. With all that was happening, I'd almost forgot what it was I exactly had planned. Or at least wanted to have planned.

"Come to the library with me." I suddenly said.

Susan paused, thought for a minute, then shrugged. "Sure, why not."

The sky was growing dull with clouds when we got to the small downtown district. Susan and I hunted out the large library despite its demeaning title, and entered with sighs of relief. It smelt like old and new books here, a comforting feel that welcomed us both. The glass fireplace was on and burning at the front of the store behind the empty counter, and the curtains were closed over the few windows on the first level, giving the library a dark atmosphere.

We separated on our own paths when we got to the teen section, Susan splitting away to check out a new shipment that had just arrived --she wanted to get her hands on the most juicy of new books. While I, well, I was brought here for a reason. My own interest sparking. I felt myself drawn to the familiar large leather bound black book, its pages old and weathered, its printing scripted. It felt fragile in my hands despite its weight when I took it from the shelf, and I read the title more then twice before opening it up and scanning through its index page. It had absolutely everything on vampires. All the myths and supposed sightings. It was like reading a book on UFO's. And I found myself interested. Not only had the passages I'd read before stayed in my mind, but my yearning for more was extremely evident.

"_Vampires; Myth's or Reality_," A familiar voice sounded from above me.

Tall and pasty and weird, the guy I'd seen in the alley on my first day at Cross Academy was towering over me. In that brief second it took me to figure out the familiarity, he was grinning and taking the book from my arms. I'd seen him with a girl before, and wondered vaguely where she was and why he was here, meeting me. Unaware, my heart had begun a fierce, almost agonizing rhythm in my chest.

As if he could hear it, he chuckled. "Would you like me to ring this up for you?" That raspy voice was like screeching harpies, and I swallowed hard, trying to quell a sudden surge of instinct in me.

What was with me these days? Occasionally back home I'd get this feeling around weird strangers and flee instantly, but here it seemed as if I was getting it constantly, weary and cautious and exhausted. I nodded silently, my eyes never leaving his face. His eyes weren't red, I noticed. They were a dark brown, almost black.

"Come." He said, his lips curled into a grin.

I followed without a second thought.

"Annabelle!"

Like I'd been hit, I raised a hand to my forehead and turned dizzily to see Susan coming up behind me, three books in her arms. She regarded the man in front of me with a smile; I noticed a sudden charge of familiar atmosphere around her as well. "Hey Gerald."

"Good afternoon, Susan." He said. "Want me to ring those up for you, too?"

"Yes please." Cautiously she handed him her books, and he held them at arms length without a dip in his elbow even though they were as thick as tombstones. When he retreated to behind the counter and began to absently scan the books into the mainframe of the one computer, I turned to Susan and frowned.

"Who is that?" I asked.

"Gerald. He runs the place." After measuring my expression, Susan ran a hand through her hair. "I know. He gives me the creeps too."

"I saw him on my first day here," I admitted quietly, afraid he may over hear me despite the rows of books now between him and us. "He was with some woman that I saw leaving church and-- Long story short, I saw him making out with a girl in the back of an alley."

Susan scrunched up her nose as if she'd smelled something foul. "Are you serious? That's strange. I remember when I first saw him, I thought he was good-looking--"

"So did I."

"--Yeah, but it's just like…I don't know. He gives off this strange aura." Susan frowned, lost for words. "It just feels…weird."

I understood her perfectly, though. Nodding, I turned to regard him. His eyes flickered briefly to meet mine, and he smiled. Something about that smile sent shivers down my spine, but I couldn't place a finger on why it effected me the way it did. All I knew is that I suddenly wanted to run from the shop and never look back. My blooming favourite shop had become terrifying in a matter of seconds. Now I wanted to go to my dorm and curl beneath the blankets, or throw a few rocks at a couple of squirrels.

"C'mon. Let's get out of here." I mumbled quietly to her. She nodded and we went to the counter, both huddled close as if it would save us from him. Whatever we needed saving from, I couldn't begin to fathom. But it felt safer, so we stayed, arm and arm.

I didn't have a library card, so Susan handed him hers. I noticed that his fingers were extremely long and bony.

"Here you are, ladies." He said handing Susan a plastic bag with her books. When he gave the leather bound book to me, he was extra careful not to drop it. "Be careful with this one. She's old." He said when I took it into my arms. Then he chuckled. "Do you believe in that sort of thing? Or is it only for a project?"

"Just curious," I admitted coldly.

He grinned, displaying a wide set of pearl white teeth. "Of course. Well, have a nice day. Both of you." His eyes lingered on me, but I calmed the urge to throw the book back in his face and instead both me and Susan left quickly.

On the way out, with the ringing bells over the door, I could of sworn I heard him laughing.

--

"_Vampires; Myth's or reality_…" Kohana read aloud. She had the book open on her lap, and flipped it calmly, casual even. Furtively her eyes flickered to mine. "Why did you get this book?"

I shrugged and sat on my bed. "It looked interesting." I replied lamely.

A look of scepticism crossed her features; her mouth thinned. "Interesting? To me it looks a little…I don't know, dumb."

"To each his own." I murmured unintelligibly.

Susan and I had fled from the library a few hours ago, and I'd met up with Kohana to discuss the punishment I'd received from Chairman Cross, learning vaguely that she had had a run in with him too, and that Kira, her, and Seika were also doing a few chores around the school. At least it hadn't been just me who'd been rooted to the problem. I was more then happy to hear that I'd be seeing my crime buddies wandering the halls sweeping or cleaning, while I fished out strings of food from the cafeteria pipe line.

Through all of it though, I couldn't get myself to calm down. That man's face was still strong and blinding in my mind, taunting me, giving me a real reason to be upset. The chances of meeting him weren't as slim as I'd hoped, because I knew for a fact that the downtown district wasn't even that big. But to be there, in the library that I was just becoming fond of, had suddenly shattered all my comfort and had replaced it with a gnawing hole of fear and confusion. Emotions I weren't necessarily fond of.

"--Anna, did you just hear anything I said to you?" Kohana had put down the heavy book and was now looking at me, eyes intent on my face, curious.

When I snapped away from my stupor, I opened my mouth to say something. Nothing came. I closed it again and looked belittled, raising a brow at my own speechlessness.

"No, what did you say?" I finally managed.

"I was saying that," Kohana coughed to clear her throat. "Kira and Seika are planning to go back."

Baffled, I asked, "Back where?"

For a long moment Kohana stared at me as if I'd lost something valuable in my head. Then with a shaky gasp, I pulled myself up from the bed and glared at her. Kohana recoiled from the look with obvious shock.

"You're kidding?" I nearly cried out. "Are they insane!? I swear they got into trouble!"

"They did," Kohana looked down into her lap. "But you don't know Kira. Since you didn't get what she wanted, she's going to try again and again until she does get it."

"Even if it gets us all killed?"

Silence. After a long hesitation, Kohana's brow pulled low along her forehead and she looked at me as if I had just died my hair pink and started speaking in tongue.

"Killed? Anna why do you think we're going to get killed?"

I couldn't answer. Truth was I didn't know why I said that, I just had a strong feeling that that word had fit in that sentence like a puzzle piece to a jig saw. It was a scary thought, and at once I dismissed it as me just overreacting. Of course being killed was going overboard. Why would we die if we decided to wander around at night? It was frightening to relive what had happened yesterday, but nothing fatal had occurred. I was still in one piece. Why did I suddenly feel so sure of myself?

"Not killed," I lied. "I don't know why I said that. Just, we'd get into deep shit. Do you really want that?"

"I didn't say I was going."

Relief pooled over me, and I leaned back against my bed, readjusting my tank-top. "Good. You had me fooled for a second there."

Kohana didn't go any further. I knew she had more to tell me, but I didn't want to listen. Either it was my stubbornness or frustration, but soon she slipped from our dorm and left me alone to think. But thinking, at the moment, hurt me. Not a physical hurt, but an exhausted hurt. My head felt heavy and full. My life had become so distant and strange from my formal one that I didn't know how to react. All my reactions came late, subdued by the sense of a surreal transparency wrapped around what my years had been like before Cross Academy.

I'd been here for only one week, and already it was effecting me. Pulling on the strings of my body, hoping to unravel them. I was no longer a stranger, but a student. I was no longer friendless; instead I had two friends I thought were keepers: Susan and Kohana. I was no longer keeping myself sealed like an envelope; already I had spilled myself to the Chairman and to Susan. No matter how much I didn't want to admit it, I knew I was changing. For the better, I'm not sure.

But I knew I was frightened.

I knew that if I didn't ret-drench myself in diamond, I'd rip open like a black hole sowed with weak stitches. I knew that if I continued to act this way, I'd be opening myself up to Pandora's box. The only thing I knew was to stop myself from going further down the road of change, halt myself until I knew I was ready to accept certain things from my past. Right now wasn't the time. It felt too fast, like I'd put my life on fast-forward. Now I had to pause and play at a real speed, hoping that I'd go back to normal sooner or later.

I was badass Annabelle, the girl who wore make-up and studded belts, who smoked and destroyed rules as if they were small, insignificant obstacles, and who had stolen a car from a grocery parking lot. I wasn't happy Annabelle, who had friends, who had begun to like the school for what it was worth, who no longer wished to go back home and be with grandma. If I didn't restrain myself, I'd be sullied again. With a painful remembrance, I had to work my through this. I had to make sure I wasn't beginning to rely on people.

I needed to remain adamant.

It was for my own safety.

A light shuffling sound came from behind my door, bringing me temporarily back from the concaves of my mind. I realized I was laying face down on my bed, my head buried in my pillow. Frustrated, I got up and opened the door before the person behind it had a chance to knock.

Yuuki Cross was staring back at me with large, brown eyes. There was a smile curling her lips, and even though I visibly grimaced, it remained.

"What?" I asked, annoyed by a wave of silence that swept through us.

Yuuki inclined her head, her hands behind her back. She didn't look particularly irked like I did. "Annabelle, this is a little unexpected. But, um, you wouldn't mind coming to the chairman's house for dinner, would you?"

Another long pause. What the hell was this? What the hell was she talking about?

I raised an elegant brow, looking over her shoulders and waiting for someone to pop out and scream 'Got ya!'. It didn't happen. The smile was gone when I turned back to her, and she was only staring at me curiously. Waiting for an answer, it seemed.

"What?" I questioned again, half in disbelief. I was still waiting for her to say that she was joking and run off. Somehow she didn't strike me as the child-like type.

"Chairman Cross would like to know if you wanted to come to dinner with us." Another smile formed on her lips. "Don't worry, we'll get you back before night. I think he just wants to make you comfortable. You are new, and I don't think you were shown around properly. But since it's been a little busy, I'm sure you've made friends and figured out the Academy. Sorry I wasn't able to give you a tour."

I waited a little longer to see if she was pulling my leg. Awkwardly, another silence thickened between us.

Yuuki laughed, she sounded nervous. "You don't have to come if you don't want to. We don't want to force you or anything."

I blinked.

She shifted uncomfortably under the pressure of my confused, scrutinizing gaze. Why in god's name would Chairman Cross want me to have dinner at his place? If I didn't know any better, he was probably cooking up some plan to make me confess my life --that or he hoped I had some master plan to rule the world.

"You want me to come to dinner with you?" I asked incredulously, slowly and cautious.

What was she planning? It seemed to be good-natured, this gesture. But why? I didn't see her asking anyone else to go visit the Chairman at his house. Why was I suddenly singled out? It was because I'd revealed myself to the chairman, wasn't it? That's it, from now on, my mouth is sealed.

Yuuki nodded. "Yeah." And as if to make me feel better, she raised her index finger and added seriously, "He's a really good cook too. So you won't have to worry about getting sick."

I blinked again, turned to regard my empty, privacy-deprived room, and then sighed heavily, wishing it to melt away my insides. If I was a simple puddle on the ground, I wouldn't have to speak or walk or do anything human-like at all. Everything would be good. "Fine," I muttered, quietly. "I'll go, I suppose. There isn't anything else to do here. Besides, I'm hungry."

The girl smiled and nodded.

I could only add this event to the list of things making my life strange and scary and completely surreal. What have I gotten myself in to? Piece by piece, was I falling apart or coming together? I really didn't know. What I did know was that Cross Academy was slowly changing my life. Whether I chose to accept it or not, the realization was there.

Slowly I followed Yuuki out the Sun Dorm.

* * *

**N/A: Wow. I'm getting stress pains...That's right, Stress pains. How bad is that? Grr. Once this week and the next are over, I'm going to be sooo happy. Yay for me! **

**;D**

**Rawrness. I think i'm going crazy from being tired/bored/stressed. Two cheers for craziness! Wha-hoo! Wha-hoo!**

**And my brain is slowly dying.**

**o.0**

**That is never a good thing.**

**Don't forget to R&R.**


	7. Dinner

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or its characters. I do however own Annabelle Locke.**

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

"--An assortment of all the nutritious, right things. Good for your body's health! You'll never taste anything quite like this! Oh chairman, what have you gotten yourself into? With these hands I'll become the world's greatest cook!" The Chairman raised his hands and looked at them, then balled them into fists. "No, I'll become better then that!"

"I think we get the point," I muttered beneath my breath, poking the tip of my fork through a lump of meat floating aimlessly around my bowl of soup. It smelt delicious, but looked slightly repulsive. Chunks in water weren't exactly the type of thing I went for when dinner rolled around.

Never having realized the Chairman's house was so close to the school, I had been shocked when me and Yuuki had pulled around a bend and had come face to face with the small Victorian styled abode. After awhile of admiring the white-washed walls and bluish-grey roof tops, I'd finally led myself through the door.

The chairman had already been bouncing off the walls, shoving baskets of bread and bowls of soup and cups of water onto the table, which was seated for four instead of three, so I thought best not to ask questions when I found him wearing a pink apron ass well. The answer would only further confuse me weak mind.

Yuuki sat across from me, slowly devouring her meal. After a minute of watching her and her not suddenly turning green, gagging, and flopping to the floor like a dead fish, I shoved the meat chunk into my mouth and chewed.

"Do you love it?" The Chairman startled me by saying, his body mass leaning over my back to view my rhythmic jaw motions.

I paused, swallowed, and gave a ghost of a laugh in hopes that he would disappear and not be such a creep. "Yes," I answered irritated, after a minute of him not dissolving away from me. "It's very good. You're a good cook. Now will you please stop running around and sit. Or are you just making this meal for me and Yuuki?"

"And Zero." He raised his index finger and pointed to the empty chair when I responded with a quizzical expression.

"Zero?" I put down my fork and inclined my head, my eyes harsh and glowing in the dim kitchen light. "Chairman, is this some trap to get me to open up to you further? Or is this about the other day, because you know, being swarmed by the school's prefects isn't something that occurs that often, does it?"

The laugh that came next wasn't the Chairman's, and I turned my head to view Yuuki's suddenly nervous hand waving gestures at me.

"No-no, the Chairman--"

"It's dad, cute Yuuki," The man supplied hopefully.

"Right. The Chairman wouldn't do that."

Physically I could see the Chairman's shoulders droop when Yuuki ignored his simple request. Yuuki continued, "We just want to make you feel more comfortable. So when Zero comes just ignore him, cause he's a jerk."

"Right then. I'll keep that in mind." My voice betrayed my boredom. But if either of them had heard it, they didn't note on the fact and try to entertain me further. The chairman continued to whirl around, while the scents of something sweet lofted over my face, and Yuuki ate silently, her eyes never leaving her bowl of soup.

Eventually when we were both finished, we, in unison, pushed our bowls away from us and the Chairman happily swept them from our lines of vision, replacing them with small plates of pudding. My stomach felt full, so when I looked at the clump of white jelly, a sudden distaste overwhelmed me. A more bitter emotion filed in on top of that because it did look good, and I did want that pudding. But I pushed it away and denied any part of wanting it. The chairman, after some time trying to coax me to take it, shrugged and ate it himself.

The sky was turning a dull orange when I heard the front door open and foot-steps gradually make their way to the kitchen. By this time Yuuki was finishing up her desert, while the Chairman had seated himself beside me and was waiting for his water to boil. I looked up grudgingly, then lowered my eyes to the flowery endings of the table cloth when the kitchen door began to shift against its hinges, knowing only to well that the full cavalry had arrived.

"What is that smell?…" The voice trailed off, as cold and ice sheathed as venom left out to freeze in a blizzard. "What the hell is she doing here?" It said after a moment.

Wait, what?

I took my eyes from the pearl white cover and felt them burn like fire when I took in the appearance of Zero, the male prefect. Tall, silver-haired, with abnormal violet eyes. While my skin was a porcelain pale, his was sickly.

Like sharpened arrow-heads, our eyes glared at each other. The others must have felt the sudden flow of hostility wavering through the atmosphere, an ominous present that usually occurred when a storm was about to pass through, because they both stood up. Or, better yet, when both similar attitudes clashed in a fiery war of survival. Suddenly it was me and Zero, fighting emotionally. Our eyes were the windows to the liquid fire raging within us.

"Zero!" Yuuki's voice shattered victoriously through my defenceless line of concentration. Although my hatred didn't abate, I was once again able to breathe. "Why do you have to be such a jerk? Annabelle is here because the Chairman asked if she wanted to have dinner with us! You'd know that if you weren't skipping all the time!"

"It's the weekend, idiot." Zero growled. I noticed he didn't leave the doorway. "You can't skip on a weekend."

"That's not true!" Yuuki shook her head, a short river of brown hair folding over the nap of her neck. She pointed an accusing finger in his direction. "You skipped dinner!"

I was about finished with this conversation when two minutes sluggishly passed by; full of bickering back and forth. It reminded me heinously of an old married couple, a sort of situation I'd rather pull back from.

"That's okay," I said, getting to my feet. "Thanks for having me over Chairman. But it's getting late and I better go. Since you are all worried about people wandering around at night." A sort of laugh sifted from my lips; it was funny to think about. "It's like your worried a monster is going to jump out and kill everyone."

Silence followed. For a moment eyes were watching me, hard and intent on my face. My smile faded with their seriousness, and I ended up scowling as if they were a pack of dimwitted fools. Did they not know how to take a joke? "I'm kidding," I offered.

Another pause. And then nervously Yuuki laughed. "I was going to say: you don't believe that, do you? But I guess not." Her voice faded with a snippy look from Zero, who finally wrenched himself from the doorway and stepped into the room.

"You'd be an idiot if you believed in that," He said to me, taking a spot at the table. He pulled over an untouched plate of pudding and shoved a spoon into its jelly center.

"I take it you're an idiot already," I muttered quietly, trying to defeat the purpose in my voice; it sounded as if I wanted to challenge him. To play him at his own game --whatever that may be. It felt all to similar up to him, like I was waking beside myself, speaking to myself. That thought alone made me contemptuous, made me want to set fire to a grand estate and watch it ripple with red until it was nothing but ashes. Did that mean I wanted to burn him? Of course not, just simply…watch him melt?

"What did you just say?"

I met his eyes with the full fury of my own. Those violet depths were clogged with ice, and I didn't doubt my turquoise ones, like Paraiba Tourmaline, were displaying the same flickering emotion. We were locked in a cage, each components anger battling the other. For a second I wanted to rip his eyes out.

"Are you deaf?" I offered bitterly, feeding the fire in my voice. "I called you an idiot after you called me an idiot. I thought that made perfect sense, since I don't respect the way you suddenly came in here and purposefully insulted me."

"In here? If you haven't noticed this is the Chairman's house, and if you didn't realize, we've been here longer then you have! New girl, I can treat you any way I want. So shut up and back off."

"Zero!" Before I could blink, Yuuki was smacking him in the back of the head with a full, powered swing. "Her name is Annabelle and be nice!"

"Why you…" Zero, having had his head knocked forward an inch, stood to his full height and glared at her, waves of fury resonating from his being.

The chairman was sipping his tea causally, as if this sort of thing happened on many occasions. It would have been futile if he imbedded himself into the conflict anyway. Most likely he would have been screamed at, so he stayed aside, watching and listening. I, on the other hand, couldn't do that.

"Thanks for the dinner, Chairman." I said, passing him and coming around the side of the table Yuuki and Zero were arguing at. The chatter diminished rapidly as if snuffed out like a flame, and Zero turned the fire in his eyes on me, trying to burn me.

I deflected it with the exact same look, my hands becoming taut with a sudden urge to reach out and smack him in the face. Composing myself, I tried a smile. "I'll see you later Yuuki." Then with a curt, sharp nod in Zero's direction I left, striding quickly through the white painted walls, passing one large potted plant, and reaching the door that would take me back to the Academy.

When I was slipping on my converse sneakers, the Chairman came up beside me and folded his arms across his chest. All earlier humour was gone from his eyes.

"What?" I asked impatiently. Zero had fouled my mood. That bastard.

He paused as if weighing his words. "I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"Alright about what?"

"About two nights ago."

"You mean about me sneaking into the academy at night?" I inquired, then straightened myself and looked over his shoulders, watching as Yuuki passed in front of the doorway, loading her dishes into what sounded like a sink. "Yeah," I said after a moment. "I'm fine. Do you have something important to say to me?"

There was another small hesitation, but then he brushed it off and smiled; humour returned. "Good-night Annabelle. Would you like me to get cute Yuuki to escort you back to your dorm?"

I thought about it for a second, already having made up my mind. "No," I answered. "I think I can get back safely on my own."

Outside was refreshingly cold, a reminder that summer was coming to an abrupt end in about two weeks. The sky was a honey-colored orange, melting into a deep crimson the closer it got to the horizon, and long wisps of orange cloud covered the sun. I had to get back before it became dark, otherwise I'd have those prefects on my tail, and having just spent a dinner with them, I really didn't want that --especially when it came down to meeting that retarded, foolish Zero, with his stupid cocky attitude. I just wanted to strangle him.

Yuuki was right, he was a jerk. A jerk that was so similar to my own jerky self that it was just a fuelled up fire around him. I barely even knew the kid, I had just met him, and already my temperament was rising, my forehead sweating, my eyes glaring daggers at the tree I was passing. As soon as I reached the Academy steps, both roads were completely empty. It seemed that since the Night Class wasn't going to school today, there was no need to have massive crushing teenagers grouped outside their dormitory. For that I was particularly grateful.

Incoherently I went to get a smoke from my duffle bag, but since I didn't have it on me I sighed and resigned to sitting on the steps instead, looking up at the sky and hoping to clear my mind with fresh oxygen instead of toxic smoke. It didn't do much. I'd of rather shoved a cigarette down my throat.

I only had a few minutes to roll over everything in my mind. The sun was setting, and Yuuki and Zero wouldn't stay put in the chairman's house for long. They'd come to make sure no one snuck into the Moon Dorm.

Speaking of which, I moved my eyes to look at the tall cathedral prison of the night students dorm room, elegant and green and silver, glittering like diamonds had been imbedded into the bricks against the deepening sunlight. It was beautiful. The sun dorm was equally equivalent, but there was more of a mysterious beauty about the Moon Dorm. It did, after all, hold the infamous gorgeous men and women that made the sun students swoon at their passing. I sighed. It was like I was the only sane one here.

That or I was the only mental one here.

My thoughts were so cuddled and folded over each other that I couldn't properly dissect one from the rest. Each question would answer itself with a new question. So, lost, I scowled at the pavement under my toes. This week had to be the most outrageous and weird week I had ever had in my life. In this small amount of time I had become confused Annabelle, worrying lamely at breaking rules and feeling strange around most pasty, beautiful males. What was wrong with me? Maybe I should go to a doctor or something, get my head examined, maybe wait off whatever I was coming down with.

A small rush of wind ruffled my hair. I pulled a strand down and curled it around my finger, raven black contrasting greatly with my own white coloring. Then I found my eyes wandering up again, to the elegant status of the Moon Dorm. I wondered what it would be like in there surrounded by all the beautiful people. It must be a haven. It was obvious that none of them would ever want one of us --the sun students-- we were mostly all plain, humanly normal. While they, with their silky hair and dangerous eyes, were completely opposite.

And I didn't know why, but the thought of me ever hooking up with one them was as absurd as thinking that one day pigs would fly. I didn't doubt my looks. That wasn't the problem --Well, technically it was since I wore a lot of make-up and styled my hair differently then others, and that usually seemed to repulse people-- it was the fact that I was not your average teenager. I stole a car for gods sake. I sullied my criminal record at the age of sixteen, and I was only here because they had come to the conclusion that jail or a detention center wouldn't help me, and that landing me in a giant academy with rich students, those with the usual good manners, would transform me into a different person.

I scoffed. Like that was going to happen.

It was going on night when I decided to say good-bye to my little break. With regret, I began to shuffle off to the Sun Dorm. But stopped when a chill shot down my spine. Now I could have regarded it as a chill from a cold wind, but it felt needy, almost strange and uncomfortable. My eyes fell upon its source: the Moon Dorm. Once beautiful, now suddenly ominous with the darkening back drop behind it. I shuddered involuntarily.

Enough of this, the more noble part of my mind said. You're being paranoid.

And I was. Nothing was wrong. I was just being a fruit. A stupid fruit who always thought something was going to bounce from the bushes, gurgling and hissing. I had got to lay off the horror movies from now on.

It took a short two minutes to return to the dorm. Once the door was closed behind me and I was safely alone in the halls of such a familiar presence, I ascended the stairs and went straight to my room. My window was completely navy when I stepped in, the moon a thinning whole. Kohana was spread out on her bed, the book Susan had taken out for me on the first trip to the library open and raised to the ceiling. Her brown eyes flickered to mine briefly, then she closed the book and put it on her lap.

"Hey Anna." She greeted quietly. From the strain of her voice, something was on her mind. "Where were you?"

"Out." I offered, sitting on my bed and stretching out my legs. The muscles felt sore and cramped.

"Out where?" She pressed, leaning up to look at me curiously. There was no sense of humour in her expression, just a deep seriousness that left me baffled.

Why did she want to know anyway?

"At the chairman's house for dinner." My voice betrayed me, I sounded irritated.

Kohana leaned back, took off her glasses, and cleaned them with her pink pyjama top. "With the prefects?"

My jaw tightened. "Yes." I answered honestly. Then, unable to hold in my confusion, asked, "What is it to you, anyway? What's wrong? What, are you mad at me or something?"

"No no." After a pause she frowned. "I don't know. Well, no, I'm not mad. But I don't think it's fair."

"Why not? It was only dinner."

"Exactly! Why were you invited to join the prefects for dinner and not me?" Kohana laid back and stared at the slowly revolving ceiling fan. "I don't get it." Then quietly, disappointed, she added, "What if they want you to join them?"

That was it. I'd had enough. "Look, Kohana. It was only dinner. That's it. Dinner. Just that. The chairman is just trying to make me feel more comfortable. I'm not going to become a prefect. Do you think those positions are handed out to people who steal things? No. Stop thinking stupid things."

For a moment there was silence. Then she looked over, her small lips pouting. "You know, if you became a prefect, you could meet the Night students…even get me to meet them."

I threw a pillow at her. Kohana broke out into laughter, her earlier jealousy washing from her body. When she was finished, she was grinning and fluffing my pillow absently. "I was just saying."

"Don't say anymore." I groaned, flopping down onto my mattress. "I've heard too much about those kids. Night class this, Night class that. Won't anyone shut up?"

"So then," Kohana tossed me back my pillow and I put it beneath my head, "you don't think any of them are gorgeous?"

What a stupid question. "Of course I do. I think they are all insanely gorgeous. You'd have to be mental not to think that. But I don't know. They're just…weird."

"Don't ever say that again." The humour and the defensiveness in her voice made a strange combination.

I frowned. "I can't help it. I just get a weird feeling around them."

"Like they are FBI trainee's?"

At that I laughed. "Right." I agreed. "Like they are FBI trainee's."

--

Monday morning was slow. I got up, showered, and slipped into the school uniform I would rather burn then wear. Kohana was already ready as usual when I had begun to apply my make-up and do my hair, so when I was finished she was waiting impatiently by the door, bag over her shoulder.

By the time we reached the Academy we only had a few minutes left, so we ended up running and I, not ever being sporty, ended up breathless by the time we slipped into our Math class. We took our usual seats in the middle of the elevating levels, and Mr. Yamato resumed his lesson as if he had never been disturbed.

Yesterday had been boring. After Saturday, I'd decided to stay in all the next day, reading through the vampire book I had acquired at the library on Friday. I hadn't really learned anything new on the topic, just a few old myths that used to be passed around by house wives. Other then that, nothing. I didn't really know what I was looking for exactly, but I was searching for something. That or the topic of vampires intrigued me with a spooky sense of interest. I had gone to bed early, but was still very tired today.

I yawned, tears building at the edges of my eyes. Since Mr. Yamato's lesson wasn't enough to keep my attention for long, I watched the heads of a few students in front of me, watching them bob with their own exhaustion, or because they were scribbling notes down in their books like Kohana was. I wasn't the only person whose head this lesson passed over. Mr Yamato put down his piece of chalk and turned sulkily to the classroom students.

"Yuuki Cross, are you sleeping?"

To my right, in another isle, the familiar brunette's head shot up, her eyes red rimmed. "Uhm, No sir. I'm not sleeping."

"Zero is sleeping too," A boy called from the top row.

A strange fury rose in the pits of my stomach when my eyes rested on the silver-haired boy, his arms cradling his face. He didn't move like Yuuki did, just remained solid, his chest raising ever-so-slightly with his breathing.

"Detention for both of you." Mr. Yamato said simply, returning to the lesson.

Yuuki physically drooped. Zero didn't do so much as shift his position. For the rest of the period I was literally trying to hold my eyes open. Me get a detention? Unlikely. I'd just skip it anyway. But the point was that I didn't want a detention with _them_. I'd rather throw myself in a garbage bin then have a half an hour after class staring at that boy's face.

Speaking of which, I had completely and utterly forgotten about lunch duty. So by the time lunch did role around and I was given the chance to go downtown for an ice-cream, I was fuming and escalading waves of fury. Kohana and the rest of her group disappeared out the Academy door. I was left to fish out the remains of old potato peels from the sink and throw out the garbage. My hair smelled grotesque when I finished up and tossed away my Playtex gloves, the church bell ricocheting its sound off the walls overhead. The cafeteria lady didn't look at me when I left.

The rest of the day went even slower. In English we learned about something involving Shakespeare --I wasn't paying attention long enough to write anything down or permanently attach anything to my brain-- and science was just about reviewing ecosystems.

I had pretty much washed myself with exhaustion by the time the last bell rang and the school surged with excited students. Kohana met me at our usual place outside at the Academy door, near the concrete steps. She had a lollipop sticking out of her mouth, and she handed me a red one.

"Thanks," I said, unwrapping it and popping it into my mouth.

The sky overhead was a light orange, blue licking at the edges. And as usual, the screaming female voices carried over on the lack of a breeze, drowning the two of us in their excitement. I paused, tasted the cherry candy on my tongue, and then sighed.

"Let me guess," I said after a minute of silence. Kohana's expression was tight as she looked at the Moon Dorm's closed gates, yearning. "You want to go over there and become apart of all that."

She nodded, adjusting her glasses. "Duh."

"Then go. I'm not stopping you."

Kohana lowered her eyes to the floor, and then, oddly, looked up at me through her lashes. I'd never seen that look before on her face. But I had to openly admit that with her heart-shaped freckled face and large brown eyes, she had professionally perfected the puppy-dog-eyes. I had to hold in both my dignity and my laughter. Anyone would easily crumble at that look; but since I knew Kohana, it looked more goofy then it would on someone she had just met.

"What are you doing?" I asked suddenly, raising an eyebrow.

"Come with me?" She offered in a small, timid voice. The poutiness almost made it cute. "Pwease." She added just to tick me off.

It worked. I smacked her on the arm and glared at her. "Stop that."

"Ow." She rubbed the reddening mark on her upper arm. Then before I knew it she was pleading with me. "Please Anna. Please oh please will you come just this once! You don't have to go ever again. Just this once. Please?"

"No."

"Anna, you're not being fair! Please!" Kohana reached into her bag when she realized I wasn't going to cave, and withdrew a small green gift box. "I want to give this to Ichijou-senpai. But I'm so nervous."

My eyes lingered on the box. Frowning, I took it into my hand and tilted it up to eyelevel. "What's in it?"

"Just chocolate. I didn't give him anything on Valentine's day…so I thought maybe he'd like some now." She explained helplessly.

"Valentine's day was like months ago," I reminded her, giving her back the small box. "And why can't you give it to him yourself?"

"Because I'm nervous!" She cried, brows frowning, eyes glossing. It had never occurred to me how obsessed she was with these people, but now with a dawning reality I did know. My mood went instantly gloomy and I tightened my fingers around the one pull up string on my shoulder, fixing my duffle bag tighter to my back.

"Fine," I said, giving up, biting off the rest of my lollipop and throwing the white stick to the ground. "Just make it quick."

She squealed out her excitement and led me to the pack of ravenous girls, all of which were trying to stroke the fine wooden doors with their fingertips. I heard a loud whistle ring out from the front, and Yuuki's small, demanding voice. "It's past curfew! Please return to your dorm immediately!"

No one listened to her.

I almost felt bad in a sense. She was technically supposed to have reigns over the female population of the school, but by the looks of it no one gave her a second glance. Zero on the other hand, the girls behind him were quiet and intimidated. With a pang I realized I was angry again. As they say, opposites don't attract. His eyes flickered to mine and a familiar emotion counted off behind them. It wasn't hard to figure out that it was exactly the same thing I was feeling: the urge to smack him upside his head.

The girls were grouped into two piles. Me and Kohana were in the more flourishing one; the one Yuuki couldn't handle, and we were, unfortunately, being knocked around like string less puppets. I shoved one girl out of my way when she literally toppled over her feet and almost brought me to the ground with her. I wasn't in the mood to be nice. I didn't want to be here.

The first day I had been looked at as if I was a weird insect on the side of a road. Plus, I wasn't really up for seeing the blonde kid that was so damn close to me the night I'd tried to snap a picture of him. Thinking about it filled me with a hard, adamant-type hatred. I wanted to slap the guy named Aidou. Maybe his friend too for the way he held me hostage.

The girls surged forward again, and like a wave of water, we both moved with it. I was the only one not screaming.

"Please go back to your dorms!" Yuuki said over the rambunctious crowd. "Please go--"

_Creeeaaakk._

A choir broke out behind, in front, and to the sides of me. Suddenly we were all making a path along the cobblestone walkway, watching as the heavy doors shifted against their hinges and opened to reveal the beautiful models of the Night Class. Me and Kohana had managed to snag ourselves a spot in the front. Kohana was more excited then me. I wanted to sink to the back of the crowd and disappear.

Again I felt a strange tingling enter my body, setting fire to my instincts. They all looked so harmless --well, when they didn't have their eyes on you-- and so the reason for my awkwardness wasn't fathomable. I didn't know why I looked at them so differently then the other girls.

"Idol-senpai!"

"Kaname-senpai!"

"Shiki-senpai!"

"Good morning, ladies!" Aidou's voice carried over the crowd. He was waving politely to them all, happily, while the others lugged behind him, uncaring.

My back prickled. Was he a retard? From the look of the sky overhead, it was clearly not morning but slowly edging on toward night. What was wrong with that kid?

When his eyes caught mine and his grin widened, I mentally sighed to myself, while trying to swallow the sudden kick I'd received to my stomach. My instincts were still firing off on one another. His advancement wasn't going to abate that feeling.

Aidou slowed when he came up beside me and Kohana. She squealed, and timidly said hello. But his eyes were glued to my face, and I, trying to shove the memories down of what happened a few nights ago, returned his smile with a sarcastic grin.

"I thought I'd never see you around here again, Annabelle-chan." He said. The crowd behind me seethed and surged, some of the girls glaring and muttering insults behind my back, others giggling because he was so close to them. Literally, I felt the need to pull out all their hair and throw it back in their faces.

"I wish that were true." I muttered beneath my breath. I saw Yuuki holding back a line of misbehaving girls, but her eyes were on me as well, Zero had his arms crossed and his eyes closed, and the other Night Class students were advancing slowly toward the Academy.

"You're not mad at me, are you?" Aidou asked, breaking the concentration I had purposefully placed elsewhere.

An urge to punch him here and now stung the tips of my knuckles. What a stupid question. Of course I was mad, I thought mentally. You broke Kohana's camera, scared me shitless, and now I was lying to my friends about that whole entire incident.

"Go away." Was all I could get out. I surprised myself with how small my voice sounded in my ears, as if I was almost shy. Me, shy? I almost laughed with bitterness.

Aidou frowned. Kohana, having overheard me, whirled at me and gawked. "Are you insane!" She whispered harshly into my ear. I noticed she was holding the small green box in her right hand. "Don't tell Aidou-senpai to go away! You're lucky he's talking to you!"

She didn't know the half of it. Telling him to go away was the best thing I could muster, with my flaming bodily reactions and all. Everywhere I looked I saw them: white-clad students, beauty, pale skin. My stomach churned, my head spun. I needed to get out of here.

"Ichijou!" A voice said. It was too late to take it back when I realized it had been my voice. Aidou looked particularly irked that I was full out ignoring him now.

The other fair-haired Night student slowed to a halt and turned to look at me, and in unison, so did the rest of them. That hadn't been apart of my plan. Eyes. That's all I could see. All their eyes looking into mine. Suddenly I whisked the box from Kohana's hands, and she cried out, trying to reach for it when Ichijou smiled and sauntered over beside Aidou, whose eyes were still frigid.

"Hello, Annabelle, nice to meet you." Ichijou greeted. The smile still remained on his lips.

What, did everyone know my name?

Against Kohana's whining protests, I grabbed his hand, which was just as cold as Aidou's, and plunked the tiny box of chocolates into his palm. "From Kohana." I told him, gesturing to my glasses-wearing friend. She instantly perked out of her despair and blushed, bowing formally to him as if he were a god.

"Please accept it, Ichijou-senpai." She said quietly.

I couldn't stay to hear the rest. I was going to be sick. Why was I doing this to myself?

Clapping a hand to my mouth, I looked for the nearest exit. Female students blocked most of the back escape routes, so going through the little pathway they had resurrected seemed to be the only option. Unfortunately that meant going through them. But I had no time to think about that. With a focus and a concentration on my roiling stomach, I pushed forward.

Something snagged my wrist and stopped me mid-run. Aidou was looking down at me seriously, the emotion in his face revealing that he wasn't impressed with the way I had ignored him. Stupid boy. He probably didn't know what rejection was.

Yuuki opened her mouth to say something, but the girls she was holding pushed forward and she quickly tried to keep a handle on them. Kohana gasped and advanced, eyes intent on my face. I must have looked a little green.

"Anna, what's wrong?" She asked quietly, worried.

My head spun. For a second the world blurred and I saw doubles, and then I forced my hand against Aidou's chest. He let go with a grunt, and I was back on my feet, weaving passed the night students, trying not to collide with them. When a lump formed in my throat, I was suddenly more worried about vomiting in front of everyone then accidentally shoving one aside. My shoulder collided painfully with another, but I didn't look to see who it was or what expression they were making, my eyes were focused in front of me, my stomach twirling like a ballerina, my head on a terrifying rollercoaster.

And then when I was far from the Moon Dorm and Academy, I leaned into a tree and let my stomach empty itself out. Once it was finished, I felt exhausted and filthy. Slumping against the tree, I tried to even my breathing. Then I was on the ground, folding my legs close to my chest, leaning my forehead against my knees in hopes it would slowly take away the nausea.

I hated being anemic. I hated being here. I hated that I was making myself sick with panic. I hated, hated, hated it!

All I could ask myself was: What was I supposed to do now?

* * *

**A/N: Wow. Vampire Knight must becoming more popular. My story has been already knocked back to the third page.**

**T.T**

**Well Enjoy. This one is a little slow.**


	8. Fight

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or its characters. I do however own Annabelle Locke.**

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

The following morning was dreadful. It was raining hard, thousands of tiny droplets converging to make one hell of a storm. The sky was thick with heavy pregnant clouds, and the air was chilly and bitter. Kohana and I had to run to the Academy, sharing an umbrella since I hadn't thought to bring one with my luggage. Inside we seated ourselves breathlessly in Math class and listened as the teacher started the lesson --well, I only half listened, like usual.

Eventually Kohana tapped my shoulder with her finger, and when I looked up from the newly borrowed notebook she had leant me, her eyes were big and brown, mystified. The class was full of whispers, and Mr. Yamato had stopped his teachings to thumb through a pile of old tests, which he soon gave to a tall girl at the front and asked her politely if she would distribute them.

"What is it?" I asked after she gave no hint of opening her mouth.

She looked slightly dubious. And then she took in a deep breath and it came out in a rush, all the things she had wanted to say to me last night when she came back to the dorm room and I was clutching my stomach with an empty bucket beside my bed. "What is it with you Anna? Every time you see the Night Class you double over and run. Every time they are mentioned it's like you can't stand it. And what was with you yesterday? I mean I could have easily given Ichijou-senpai the box, but you just took it from me and it just…Well, embarrassed me more. He greeted you and not me, and I don't mean to be rude or anything, but that's not fair. And what is with Aidou-senpai always speaking to you. It's not fair, either! But what's really frustrating is that you don't want any of their attention." She took another deep breath to steady herself. Her cheeks were red and her eyes troubled.

But personally I didn't care. Her words infuriated me, made my bitter mood more sour. Suddenly I wanted to smack _her_, the girl who'd stayed by myself the whole of last week. Gritting my teeth, I tried to compose what was left of my kind demeanour. But there just wasn't enough. I could feel the strain of my hands, the way my skin was tightly pulled over my knuckles. My voice was venomous when I answered, and she flinched unsuspectingly. "Why the hell does everyone have to like those students, anyway? What, just because I'm the minority does it mean I'm strange? Just because you are infatuated with them because they look pretty, does that mean I have to too?"

She looked particularly irked. "No! But you made yourself sick yesterday! I could see it! Anna, what is--"

"You can't see anything clearly!" I hissed. It wasn't a pun intended because she wore glasses.

But Kohana's mouth dropped, her eyes wide and hurt. A few students overhead paused in their conversation to look over. The weight was suddenly back then. I needed to get out. I was swimming in my own misfortune and I knew that if I stayed, I'd just make things worse. Gathering up my books and shoving them into my bag, I stood and headed for the door.

"Mrs. Locke, where do you think you're going?" I heard the teacher's voice say from behind me.

Everything went silent then as I climbed the stairs. Everyone was looking over, curious. I caught Yuuki's mystified looks as I passed her. Zero just made my nerves tingle, so purposefully I looked the other way when his presence was the next I'd come to pass. Behind me, the teacher had begun calling my name clear and precise, acid dipped in his tone.

"If you walk out that door, you'll have detention, Annabelle." He said.

"Whatever." Was my single handily amazing response.

I'd just skip detention anyway.

No one chose to pursue me, and for that I was grateful. I didn't need to explain myself right now, I just needed to be alone. It had all happened so fast like usual. If it hadn't been for Kohana I wouldn't be in such a foul mood. If it hadn't been for this cruddy weather, I would have never been on the verge of mentally losing my mind.

My trek to the front doors was painful and hesitated. Sometimes I wondered if going back was the best option. Other times I thought I'd just end up punching a hole in the wall and blaming it on the first person that passed by. But in the end my decision was final, and I stepped out into the rain without a single morsel of regret.

The water flattened my hair in seconds, and irritated, I threw a profanity at the clouds. My bag only darkened in color, and since it wasn't water proof, I assumed that all my papers would be mush by the time I got anywhere dry.

But where was I going to go? Since I'd just run out on school _again_ I didn't know if going back to my dorm was the best idea. Someone may find me and haul me back here. Going downtown seemed a distant flight-- the rain may wash me away. But those were the only two options. No way was I even going to chance my thoughts to stray towards the Moon dormitory. That was a place that had locked and sealed itself in my mind, lights blinking "No trespassing," On and off again and again. Those beautifully sculpted pillars were a danger, a warning that spoke to me if not anyone else. It was just like the students that inhabited it.

What was _wrong_ with me?

I was completely and utterly losing my mind.

Maybe an ice cream wasn't such a bad idea. If there was something I needed now, it was a distraction. The cigarettes in my bag didn't count. Even though I thought of withdrawing one and popping it into my mouth, the rain would just ruin it. I didn't feel up for sitting under the dry shelter of the Academy roof; I was already wet from standing in the open. My school uniform was clinging to me uncomfortably.

Something in my peripheral vision shifted, and I whirled instantly, my heart picking up painfully in my chest. But there was nothing there. Just the thick trees that shivered by the wind, and the long pathway that led down to the Moon dormitory. I was getting that weird sensation again, like I was being watched. But it was just me going crazy, I assumed, biting my tongue. Just that. I had been feeling this way ever since I got here, so why should it still feel so fresh and burning in my mind? It was old news I decided, and now I need to find away to shove it aside and move on with my life.

I left the Academy grounds almost immediately.

By the time I reached the downtown district, I was dripping from head to toe. The rain had not even begun to relent, so I was left to absorb all its fury on the top of my head -- which now ached dully. The ice cream store was small and refreshing, and I picked up a mint chocolate chip and shoved it down my throat before ten minutes had even started to tick by. Next I stopped at Tank Toxic and tried clothes on. I found a cute camisole, but since I didn't have more then two dollars in my bag, I hung it back on the rack and promised I'd come by another day to get it.

Right now it was close to deserted on the streets. And the people that did walk by looked at me oddly; I was the only one who did not have an umbrella, meaning I was the only one that looked washed up and poor. Also, the fact that rain and make-up didn't exactly mix well. I probably looked like I was the girl from the grudge, taking her mid day stroll around town.

I stopped off at a small shop I hadn't noticed before. The front of it read: Pet Peeves. For a moment I thought quietly to myself, judging whether a pet store would help me as a distraction. Cute puppy dog eyes popped into my head, followed by kittens and birds, reptiles and fish. Once those were there, swimming non-stop before my eyes, there was no more thinking. I already had the door open.

A bell rang out overhead and a plump woman looked up from behind the counter. She gave me a smile before returning to an open book before her. It smelt like animal food in here, a salty bitterness against the smell of animals. Chirping came from the right corner, barking from the left. Straight in front of me was a small indented room, overhead a red light. It was the reptile and fish section. One person's back was facing me from inside, but other than that, no one else was inside was inside the pet store.

Quietly I walked towards the kittens housed in a small play pen beside the yipping puppies. One of them, with large blue eyes and rose colored fur looked up from fighting with a black kitten and mewed, pawing diligently at the air. Then it was tackled by one of its playmates and started an all out war against its brethren. I stifled a laugh and moved on, across the store and up to the pet birds. They were far more lazy, and most of them were sleeping in the puffed up feathers against their chests. I wanted to reach in and pet one, but from past experiences I knew that birds usually nipped intruding objects.

Behind me I heard faint whispering. It was only the person that had been inside the reptile exhibit and the clerk speaking together in hushed voices; the clerk's face looked strained. Something gone array perhaps? Maybe that costumer had bought a bag of reptile food that wasn't in working order --though I don't really understand how mice or crickets wouldn't necessarily be working.

I found myself under the red light, looking into the tiny plastic squares that held reptiles and fish. A small lizard was basking on a thin tree, a few fish were sipping at the surface of the water --having just been fed, and a long snake was coiled against the glass of its tank. I'd always had a thing for snakes. I watched it. But being just a snake, it didn't really do much. Therefore I was bored faster then I'd hoped.

The voices behind me grew to escalading heights. I was only faintly aware that this argument wasn't about reptile food until the clerk broke out into a loud, piercing screech. I whirled suddenly, my eyes wide because of the sound, my ears ringing. In the second my heart had stopped beating, I saw the man, tall and wearing all black, pulling out a gun from beneath his sweater.

"Give me the money, bitch!" He demanded, pointing the barrel towards her forehead. "Do it now!"

The plump woman cried out fearfully, raising her hands in front of her face. "Don't shoot, don't shoot me!" She tried to plead with him.

Impatient, he reached across the desk and gripped her wrist. She cried out and tried to retreat, but his grasp must have been too strong. "Fill the bag!" He insisted dangerously, pushing forth an empty black sack. "Do it or you'll get a bullet through your head!"

He must have not seen me step in. That or he thought I'd already left. Thankfully I was behind the corner of the small attach-on room, and was invisible to his eyes if he were to look around. That was good. That gave me some time.

Some time to do what? I had suddenly gone from trying to distract myself with cute little animals to being in a deadly situation. What was with all these things and coming to me? Was I some danger magnet? Was I a bright red light flashing 'Come here! I'm waiting for something to happen!'? Was this just some sick joke that god was playing on me --even though I wasn't even religious? Frustration ebbed at my nervousness. For a long moment I was more angry at myself then shocked about what was going down before my eyes.

Snapping me back to reality was the male's dangerous voice. "--And don't even think about calling the police!"

This was not the moment to wonder if police even existed in this place. Right now the woman at the counter was probably sweating tears. I had a chance of staying safe if I stayed quiet, but her, the woman that had just minutes ago been reading a book, I wasn't completely sure about her safety. I needed to do something.

I tried to block out what most of the man was screaming while I looked around. The only thing that made me worry was the continuation of the woman's pleas, her screams when it sounded like he threatened her again with the gun to her face. My heart was pounding painfully against my ribs, my fingertips numb. A weakness filled my knees.

But I stopped myself before fear completely took over. I had to calm down and rethink. Just think about the time you stole something yourself and ran blindly from the police, a small voice said in my mind. I pictured myself running, lugging jewellery in one hand. The police sirens were wailing behind me, their red and blue lights flashing like lightning against the darkness in front of me. I'd been scared then, but I had also successfully manoeuvred my way out of their sight until I was safe.

This situation was nothing like that. But when I was calm then I was able to think, meaning only one thing: I needed to be calm now. I took another long look around the room, identifying everything.

Reptiles.

Fish.

Water.

Glass tanks.

Cleaning utensils.

And my bag.

What the hell was I supposed to do with those?

Again I tried. There was a broom in the corner. I reached out and snagged it, quickly holding it close to my chest in case he saw the glint of flesh in the light seeping through the shop's windows. The woman wailed again in terror, fiddling, it seemed, with the cash register that wouldn't open.

For a long minute I was still, listening to my heart thud awfully in my ears, trying to swallow the flow of butterflies in my stomach, the weakness in my legs. Think of this as one of your prior law breaking flights, I told myself. Pretend that that is a police officer and you're the criminal. In a strange way it worked. My hatred for the law was clearly coming out, giving me potential to become less afraid and more stronger. If I got him down on the ground, the clerk would be able to help me. Yes, that was my plan. My fingers slipped on the broom stick, I was sweating. Slowly, I began to count.

One…

Two…

Three!

My feet moved of their own volition. My lungs were left behind me, leaving me breathless. But I fastened the broom stick in front of me like a sword, its black bristles in the man's direction, and opened my eyes.

To find Zero pointing a gun at the man's head.

The broom dropped from my fingers, clattering loudly against the floor. Yuuki came out from behind Zero and was instantly at my side, clutching my shoulder and trying to calm me down. But I swatted her away and, with the fear gone, a new emotion swelled up inside of me.

Anger.

The robber had his arms behind his head, and his gun was in the opposite hand of Zero's. The clerk was still breathing hard up against the back of the counter, but color had somewhat come back to her podgy face.

"We thought we'd never find you!" Yuuki said.

I ignored her and took a step forward, glaring at the masked man clad in black and then at Zero's face.

"What are you two doing here?" I questioned venomously.

"Saving your life, what does it look like?" Was Zero's own resentful statement. It only fed the fire in my stomach.

"What are you guys following me or something?" I couldn't help but voice that option.

"No!" Yuuki touched my arm, but I pulled it back as if I had been burned. "We came here because…because…" She trailed off thoughtfully.

"Because it's lunch." Zero filled in.

Time had gone by that fast?

"Yes. And we knew you were down here." Yuuki said.

Raising a brow, I glared at her. "And how did you know I was down here?"

From the corner of my eye the robber lurched forward, but Zero caught the back of his shirt and hauled him back, forcing the silver gun against his head again. "You're not going anywhere until the police get here." Zero growled.

That was it. I'd had enough. I didn't care anymore. All I wanted to do was get back. I'd been doing that a lot lately: running. It probably wouldn't matter if I did it again. My chest rose as I tried to compose myself.

"Anna, are you alright?" Yuuki asked, concerned.

"Just dandy." Was my response. Then I took one step and another, and before I knew it I was right in front of the robber and Zero. "Next time you try to rob a store," I said the guy clad in black, "don't make it a pet shop."

And before Yuuki could call after me I was out the front door, greeted again with the large drops of rain hitting me everywhere. My breath was coming out chocked, my lungs hurting when I finally got out of town. I paused briefly beside a tree and looked back, hoping that they weren't following me. And they weren't, to whatever luck I had.

What had just happened back there?

I was so ready to kick ass and then…I was saved? I had never been saved in my life. People that were saved actually swooned and all, but I, I felt completely and utterly useless. At that point when I had seen Zero, I was actually angry instead of relieved. I actually wanted to hit him. That, I thought, was the independent Annabelle who I knew, who had been resurrected back home and was now being buried beneath all the new things happening to me here. One thing I had to admit to myself: I was lost. Lost inwardly. I know longer knew who I was.

Lugging back in the rain was equally as painful as it had been going to the town. Only now I had the weight of today's misfortunate events tagging along beside me. I was still waiting for my body to go into shock when I arrived at the Academy. It didn't happen. Only when I got to my dorm room and flopped on my bed did any signs of nausea rumble in my stomach. But it wasn't enough to make me throw up like yesterday. When the exhaustion hit, I was all too happy to welcome it. Instantly I fell asleep.

--

"Annabelle! Annabelle!"

Why was that familiar voice talking to me in my sleep?

"Anna! Wake up!"

I didn't want to wake up. Not now. Sleeping felt so good.

"God, what did you take? Sleeping pills or something?"

Finally, with a groan, I swatted my hand towards the sound. It struck something stringy, and the thing whined.

"Ow." It said. "Why did you hit me?"

"Go away Kohana. I'm sleeping." I mumbled into my pillow, turning my back intentionally towards her. I wasn't in any mood to explain about today.

"You're going to want to hear about this though." She insisted.

"No, I'm not."

"You are. It's about Kira and Sieka. They are going again tonight. You know, back to the Academy to spy on the Night class."

There was a moment of silence which I took to absorb that fact. Then, dangerously I answered, "Are you going with them?"

"I already told you I'm not."

"Then why are you telling me this? I don't care if they get into trouble. That's their own bloody problem." I fluffed and snuggled my pillow. "Now go away."

"I would if I wasn't worried about Susan."

That struck something. I felt my body shudder, and before I knew it I was sitting up and looking at Kohana's face. She hadn't turned on the lights to our room, so it was dark, matching the dark blue of the sky outside. I didn't have time to wonder how long I had been asleep for; I was suddenly worried as well.

"What do you mean 'worried about Susan'?" I demanded. My skin tingled.

"Kira somehow got Susan to go with her. But Susan doesn't mix with these kinds of things. She's like, I don't know, like--"

"--you." I filled in for her.

"Yes, like me." She admitted quietly, guarded. "But besides that, I don't know. Susan is small and Kira is…"

"A bitch?" I supplied again.

Kohana nodded.

"Then we better go stop them." I said, slipping out of the bed sheets. My clothes were dry and crisp from the rain and it was uncomfortable to walk around in them. But I had no time. My insides were once again pumping. It was about time someone knocked sense into Kira's head. I never knew Susan would need it too, but I guess Kira was contaminated, and her possessiveness spread to other people.

"They've already gone, though." Kohana informed from beside me.

"We'll just have to beat them there then, won't we?" I shoved on my shoes and opened the door. It was too late to take the tree route. Only the front door would be successful at a time like this. I didn't want to chance falling down the tree and breaking something.

It took no time at all for Kohana and I to reach the doors when we took two steps at a time down the stairs. We blew through the front and entered the dark, cold night. The sky was almost completely black, mottled now with clouds. The ground was darker then that, moist and full of puddles. Kohana pointed an invisible finger in front of her, gasping for breath.

"I see them. Do you see them?" She huffed.

"No." I answered. My eyesight wasn't exactly built for the dark.

I felt her hand grab mine and then we were off again, pounding our feet heavily on the cobblestone walk. I slipped on a puddle but she helped me straighten back up, muttering a curse beneath her breath. Once the outlines of the Academy were much closer, I was beginning to see the outlines of other things. Three figures to be exact, standing outside the Academy door. Then voices carried out to us, stroking inaudibly at our ears.

At first I wondered why they weren't coming into focus like a regular person would. But soon I noticed they had taken on the same camouflage technique I had told them about before: they were wearing all black. Kohana and I stopped a few feet away from them, gasping for breath. I stabled my hands on my knees, trying to shove oxygen deep into my lungs.

Startled, Kira whirled, her dirty blonde hair frizzy from the humidity. Seika almost screamed, but when she noticed us, she broke out into a shallow laugh. Susan was wide-eyed, just staring. Perhaps she had forgotten how to breathe.

"What…" I began, my lungs on fire. "Are…you doing?"

A hushed sort of cackle came from Kira's mouth. She raised the camera in her hand and waved it in front of my face, as if trying to provoke me to hit her. "What do you think, Anna? Since you came back unsuccessful, we thought we'd give it another shot."

"And you thought you'd use Susan as the next adventurer?" My voice was stronger this time. I straightened up and glared, the fire leaking from my eyes.

Kira shrugged. "She has to learn how to be brave someday. I thought sooner would be better."

Timidly, Kohana raised a hand to Susan, a gesture for her to come onto our side. I hadn't realized this had turned into a battlefield. "Susan come here. Let's go back." She said quietly.

A laugh erupted from Seika's mouth and she gripped onto Susan's shoulder, winking at her. "She doesn't have to listen to you, right Susan?"

The short brunette said nothing.

"Look, I don't know what your problem is, Kira, but this is too much. Stop trying to spy on these people! If they wanted to talk to you they would!" I raised a hand violently to the school. "And obviously they don't want too."

"And how would you know that?" Kira replied defensively. She, too, pointed to the school. "Is it because you are one of the Chairman's favourites? Do you see them all the time? From the looks of it, Aidou-senpai knows you pretty well! Even Ichijou-senpai knows your name!"

Suddenly it all fell into place. She was jealous of me. Kira was actually jealous of _me_. I had been so naive. That whole time she had wanted me to go into the school because she had wanted me to get into trouble. Ever since that day Aidou came up to me and greeted me, she had been fuming. Was she now getting back at me through Susan? That was unfair. That made me mad.

I felt the strain in my fists. "So?" I breathed, trying effortlessly to control my voice.

"So what?" Kira shouted back. Her finger came accusingly in my direction. "Why would any of them like you? You're just some washed up druggy that stole a car!"

My jaw tightened. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me!"

If it hadn't been for the roof that shielded us from view, I was sure someone would have seen us. Yuuki or Zero, whichever one, would have probably been here by now. They would have stopped me, surely. If I had any type of restraint I would have been able to stop myself too, but with all the events that were occurring randomly, I had the right to be angry…I had the right to hit _something_. Or someone.

It was like another person was controlling me. An inner monster --the Annabelle that lived back in those nasty neighbourhoods. I could see my hand grabbing onto the collar of her shirt but couldn't feel it, couldn't think, sense that the other hand was rearing back behind my head, readying itself. Then it was forcing its way into the side of Kira's head, and wide-eyed, her face snapped with it. My fingers crunched with the impact.

"Annabelle!" Kohana's voice was ringing in my ears, but it was like a glass wall separated us.

For a moment I stood breathless, looking over Kira's fallen form. She was reaching a hand up to the red mark on her cheek, stunned. Seika was instantly at her side, trying to console her, and Susan had taken a step back, staring at me expectantly. Because she knew I wanted to hit Kira again and again and again.

"What the hell did you do that for?" Seika hissed. Tears were visibly building in Kira's eyes. Good. She hadn't expected me to act so violently.

"Anna…"

That would teach her.

"Anna."

Maybe now she'd stop acting like such a prick.

"Anna!"

Finally I returned to reality with a shocking realization. I had _hit _someone. Damn. That was surely going to tick off the Chairman.

"Anna…"

The anger hadn't settled, but I hadn't meant to turn around and bite Kohana's head off. "What do you want?" I nearly shouted, irritated.

She only pointed to my hand.

Then a dull throb started in my knuckles, reaching out to lick at my fingertips. Suddenly my hand felt like it was on fire and when I tried to move my fingers, it only lanced further up my arm. I winced and ground my teeth together. This pain was all too familiar. "Shit." I hissed. "I think my hand is broken."

"It only serves you right!" Kira sobbed, still holding a hand to the bruising mark on her face. Seika helped her up and glared at me.

"Come on Kira, let's go back." She insisted, leading the complaining blonde to the Sun Dorm.

When they had disappeared back into the darkness, I looked up to meet Susan's apologetic look. It hadn't dawned on me until now that she had actually gone _with _them, to be apart of _this._ I knew she hated the Night Class like I did, so why did she go? Perhaps it was because of the same reason I went. There was something mystifying about those people, and even though curiosity killed the cat, that cat was probably happy to find out what had started that curiosity in the first place. I bit my lip to keep from shouting.

"I think you both should go back now," I muttered when the silence coagulated unbearably between the three of us.

Kohana shook her head instantly, stepping forward with a concentrated effort. "Anna!"

"I can go to the chairman myself. I don't need to be escorted. I'll be back soon, I promise. It's just," I raised my tender hand and cradled it to my chest, "I think I broke it."

"I'm sorry…" Susan whispered woefully. She was staring at the ground.

With a shake of my head, I tried my best to smile. "Don't worry. Just go back. I'll catch up with both of you later."

When the two of them had slugged back and vanished from my sight, I chanced myself and stepped inside the Academy. Instantly I was greeted with the warmer inner air, and breathed it in until my lungs were practically making it themselves. I knew the way to the Chairman's office like I knew the back of my hand. I just hoped he hadn't gone home and that he was still in the depths of his office, scribbling on something unimportant.

I also wished that the Night Class wasn't here. But that wish was most unlikely never to occur.

Fear welled inside me again, to my most misfortune. I almost cursed myself out loud, but the power of my speechlessness stopped that. As soon as I was on the second floor, I was almost sure I was going to get caught. If not by the students again, then surely by Yuuki or Zero. At least if Yuuki were to catch me, I could ask her to lead me to the Chairman because I thought I broke my hand, and without a doubt she would. Otherwise with Zero or the Night Class students, I'd probably get angry and forget all about it.

When I passed a classroom, I made sure that my steps were as quiet as a mouse. I really didn't want to be caught, especially when my one good hitting hand was down for the count. But eventually I made it up onto the next floor without a hint of someone stalking behind me. A few times I had whirled and almost ran back, but nothing shot out of nowhere, and nothing, I made sure, came at me from behind.

The Chairman's door was right in front of me, tall and dark against the minimal light coming in through the window on the opposite side. Beneath it was a small, faint glow. That of a candle, I realized, as it flickered once or twice. With a long, deep breath, I composed myself for some explaining. Of course, telling him I'd punched a girl in the face wasn't exactly the most upbeat thing I'd come up with. My one good hand grazed the door knob, and then I pushed it open.

My eyes were glued to the floor as I stepped in and closed the door behind me. The Chairman's gasp was audible, making me flinch at realization that this must seem like a surprise. Here I was, trespassing again. I heard the shift of a chair and told myself quickly that even though I had done something wrong, the breaking of my hand would infinitely outweigh the fact that I was here, at night. With another big breath, I looked up.

And froze.

The Chairman wasn't alone. Sitting in one of the long green couches was a man. No, not a man, a Night student. _That_ Night student. The one who blabbered off to the Chairman that I had taken pictures of Aidou. It was the brunette, whose eyes were smouldering masses of emptiness, whose very presence seemed to weigh me down and crush me like a bug. His own expression was monotone, unyielding to emotion. In his hand was a wine glass, full of some sort of translucent red liquid.

I didn't know how long I stood there, locked in the eyes of that man, but when Chairman Cross shifted in my peripheral vision, I was startled.

"Anna, what are you doing here?" He asked, concerned. His glasses were glaring with the light from a single candle on his desk.

"Uhm…" Why was I suddenly speechless? I reluctantly looked away from the brown haired male, feeling suddenly uncomfortable in this small office. Those eyes were just pits, pulling my attention like a black hole would pull in space matter. It took all my strength not to look back at him, to try and ignore him and retrieve my great explanation to what had happened just a few minutes ago. "I think I broke my hand because I punched Kira in the face." It came out in a rush.

Dammit! I mentally kicked myself. I wasn't supposed to say it like that!

The Chairman was quiet for a long, long time, watching me. I was aware of both the two pairs of eyes locked onto me, and shifted with discomfort at the frame of the door. Was this necessary? Why was I acting so stupid?

Because you just punched someone, a small voice added.

Grudgingly, I stepped further into the room, trying my best to erect a shield that would make it easier to ignore the looks. My hand felt vulnerable against my chest. It ached until it was numb.

"Let me take a look." The Chairman said, coming around his desk. He tried to pull my arm away from me, and I winced and muttered my protest. While he was looking it over, I found my eyes furtively straying back over to the dark male. It was something interesting to look at while the Chairman began to prod my palm with his index finger.

"Ow, that hurts." I hissed.

"Sorry."

The male was sitting with one leg over the other, elegantly. His eyes were closed now, and he was leaning the wine glass against his lips, tasting the red liquid. Was it wine he was drinking? Usually students weren't allowed alcohol on school premises. His eyes opened as if knowingly feeling my own on him, and they burned me with their smouldering look. I flinched because of it, but the Chairman only took it as a painful response to his poking.

"Sorry." He said again. Then he leaned away and told me his diagnosis. "It's sprained." He said, and moved away to go back to his desk. Fishing out a long role of tan fabric, he strolled back over and began to wrap it around my wrist.

I made a sound behind my teeth, and closed my eyes. The whole hand stung like I'd left it open for bees to come assault it whenever they pleased.

"Kaname-kun, we're going to have to hold this conversation to a later date." The Chairman said, not looking up from his work on my hand.

My eyes fell back into place with the man's tall figure. Even sitting he was tall. I felt suddenly weak and short. That fired off a certain fury in my belly.

"I can wait," The smooth, rich voice said. It burned my ears to hear it.

The Chairman nodded. "Yes. Well then, this is an unexpected visit from you, Annabelle. I'm going to need a full report on what happened."

What was I, a police officer? To be honest I didn't want to tell him a thing, but I had already blurted out the most important thing there was to tell --stupid me-- so the rest only came naturally. I started from the beginning. "Kohana woke me up tonight and told me that Kira and Seika were coming here to take pictures of," I paused and gestured to the mysterious male clad in white for emphasis, "_them._ And since Susan is my friend, I got worried and came over _here_. Then Kira began insulting me like I was a piece of trash floating around, so I took my fist --Ow." Accidentally I'd tightened it when the memory of me using it popped freshly into my mind. "I took my fists," I began again, "And shoved it into her face. I'd like to see her try to use my friends again behind my back. Next time I won't stop on the first--"

"Anna," The Chairman cut me off with a sigh. "You know there will be consequences for this."

"Another day of cafeteria duty?" I offered with innocence. Batting my eyelashes never usually worked, so I didn't even try.

"Three days of cafeteria duty," He summed up permanently.

"Damn."

For an instant he smiled and finished with a small silver clip at my wrist, holding the bandages together, and then he was suddenly serious again. His smile having been turned off as easily as a light switch. "Kaname-kun."

I had forgotten about the male. He sat so quietly. When I turned to look at him again, suddenly all traces of good humour gone from my being, his eyes were calculating. Dark and mysterious and on me.

"Is it safe to send her back without an escort?" The Chairman questioned.

"It's your pacifism, Chairman." But even though that sounded like an 'it's okay', the male named Kaname placed the wine glass on the single table and stood to his full height which was, clearly, taller then me. He stepped over quietly, his eyes moving to meet mine when he was only a few feet apart from us. "But it would be wise if she wasn't alone. I don't suppose Kiryu is anywhere in the building?"

A surge of resentment filled me then. And I took back my hand from the Chairman, unable to mask the pain that filled me with that simple move. Lips firmly pressed together, I shook my head. "I don't need an escort. I'm perfectly able to walk out of this school and get back to my dorm. It's not like I'm going to be jumped or anything."

"Even so, it can be dangerous at night." Kaname said to me. Instantly self-conscious, I turned my eyes to the flickering candle into its tubular glass case, unyielding in my decision to go alone.

"Kaname-kun--" The Chairman began.

"I'll go with her." He finished for him.

"I told you I don't need an escort." My solid answer was my decision. Last thing I wanted was to be brought anywhere by a Night student. Even if I had the choice of going with this guy or Zero, I'd of run out and told them all to jump off buildings.

Or maybe not. Around these people I felt stripped and bear and unbearably vulnerable. I was angry at myself for that.

"Sometimes it is best to take what is offered to you with gratitude, than to turn it down for your own pride." Kaname's voice was a perfect mask of stoic behaviour. It was something I couldn't respond to, so instead I just scowled at him.

"Whatever."

I felt something on my upper arm. When I looked I found it was Kaname's hand, long and pale and guiding me forward, as to make me walk. I must have been keeping him from something important. He seemed to want to get this done and over with as fast as possible, even though his facial expression indicated no hint of irritation --no hint of _anything_.

For a moment I stood defiant against the gentle pressure, then gave up and began to head back to the door, which I had wanted to walk through alone -- with no escort.

"Thank-you Cross," I said when I reached the door frame. I painfully raised my bandaged hand and smiled. "For wrapping this."

The Chairman nodded, but his expression was tight. "We'll get a doctor to look at it tomorrow. Have a good rest, Anna. Try not to move it too much."

"I think I can be careful enough. I'll try not to punch anything in my sleep."

He didn't laugh at my joke, just nodded. I left the room with disappointment in my eyes. I had wanted to leave on a good note, not a bad one.

"Kaname-kun." The Chairman's voice sounded urgent. The tall Night student looked him in the eyes and they exchanged a wordless communication --something I was too exhausted to be curious about. Then the door closed behind the dark-haired male, and we were alone in the hallway.

Awkward.

This wasn't something like hanging out with guy friends, nor was this something like me being _alone_ with a guy, you know, one on one. This was something like being alone with a guy that surpassed the looks of a model, whose eyes were as empty as a deserts terrain, and whose very presence squished you. I felt smothered. Unable to breathe. It was like I had been surrounded in a thick woollen blanket.

I must have been dazing off, because when I blinked Kaname wasn't in front of me anymore. Instead he was walking elegantly down the hall, his back to me. I stumbled to catch up with him.

"So…" I felt obligated to break the silence that deepened between us, but with that sudden surge of undermining weight, I turned to look out the windows we were passing before continuing, "You're the leader of the Night Class?"

"Yes," He said simply, not looking at me. His voice was as cold as ice chips imbedded on the wind, a chill that wound its way into my joints and lodged them shut. But there was a loneliness and a warmth somewhere there too, but that was beyond digging up right now.

"Hmmm," My mind went blank. "That's…erm…pretty darn interesting."

God I was such a fool.

"And you are the exchange student from America, Annabelle Locke." It wasn't a question. When he looked at me I almost froze; there was a power this man possessed that screamed terrifying to every one of my nerves, and I had to aggressively control myself from quivering. "It is nice to meet you."

Possibly two minutes passed. My eyes did not move from his face. Then with a mental slap I broke through the extremely long tension that began building up around me, and my eyes instantly locked onto the panels of glass again, through which I could see the outside of the school against the darkness of the night. I felt so stupid. Staring because there was no doubt this man was beautiful just like every single one of them.

It was hard to admit that I was _captivated_ by these people. They_ intrigued _me. Maybe it was because fear flooded my system like a drug each time I conversed with one or saw one or even just spoke of one. It was a strange high --one I could not figure out.

Even though Cross Academy was flooded with Night students at this time, I did not see a single one as we descended the stairs and reached the lower levels. A small sense of relief was radiating inside of me as we reached the front doors, but whenever I looked up to see the towering dark-haired male it was snuffed out as quick as a candle flame to wind.

"Well then," I said nervously as we stopped, I having guided myself towards the door. I was secretly planning to now take this journey unto myself, leave the intimidating man behind to find my own way back to the dorm. My insides were still flaring at the fact that the chairman didn't think I was skilled enough to take care of myself, which was completely and utterly false. I was perfectly capable of taking on this man in front of me. Quick knee to the groin and he'd be finished…maybe. For some reason I quickly came to terms with the fact that he seemed like he could crush me with one fold of his arms, and quieted the more vicious part of my mind.

"I think I can make it from here. Wouldn't want to keep the chairman waiting, would you?" I didn't wait for his answer. "Nope? Okay good. Later."

I reached with my right hand and grabbed onto the door knob. "Ouch." I responded instinctively to the burning pain building in the center of the wrapped hand and pulled it back against my chest, cradling it as if it had been re-broken. "Stupid bones." I cursed.

Aware that Kaname still stood behind me, my cheeks flared red hot even though the mistake I had made wasn't even that big of a deal, and I turned to give him an almost encouraging smile. "Don't let me keep you waiting. You just run along now."

One of his perfectly shaped brows rose.

Again I wanted to punch myself in the face. Was I now treating him like a child? You and your nerves. "I mean, well, it wouldn't be fair for you to walk me _all_ the way back. I can run if it really means that much to the chairman. Because you know, I can run really fast. But then if I fall and my hand --but that won't happen cause I'm--" My lips snapped closed with an audible click.

I took the silent moment to breathe in deeply and when I let it out I could literally feel all the tension leave with it, a weight that just melted away. When I thought that this was as calm as I was going to get I looked back up at him, expectant to see a muted look on his face, strained because he may now think of me as some psycho.

He was just watching, calculating with that mysterious ominous look. It was both hard to look at and not look away from at the same time; I felt torn. So eventually I found a spot of his hair, silky and brown and slightly misplaced on the top of his head--A haven away from his eyes-- and looked at that when I began to speak. "Right then. I'm going now." I stated as simply and as quietly as possible, not wanting to restart the whole nervous jitters thing I had going only seconds before.

This time with precaution I opened up the door with my _left_ hand. A stream of chilly wind tore through the opening and destroyed whatever was left of the straight combed tendrils of black hair around my face. For the first time this evening my mind wandered to what my face looked like. I had had make-up running down my face from the rain when I ventured downtown--I hadn't even thought to fix it when I got back.

A dull throb entered my chest when I thought of the events that lead up to this moment. The weight was back on. I could visibly feel myself slump in disappointment.

For a brief moment I stood, listening to the shuffling of the tree leaves as they bombarded each other with their presence, and then turned to regard Kaname from over my shoulder. "Thanks." I sounded all but pleased to be saying that word. "You know, for walking me to the door and all."

"You do not need to thank me." He said, his face and voice doing nothing to betray his inner thoughts. "Take care of your hand."

I only nodded. Then with a slight, tense smile, I closed the door behind me, shutting off my connection with the school.

With my hand stinging, I made my way back to my dorm. Everything that happened today gnawed at the inside of my head, and I wanted so badly to just shut them up.

For some reason, I knew that even these were nothing compared to what was soon going to happen...

* * *

**A/N: Lots of stuff happens in this one! Yay.**

**I'm happy, cause usually after this many chapters I get bored of writing and stop, which I have done to so many fanfictions years ago: because I can never seem to finish ANYTHING. But I still have ideas in my head, so i'll be continuing it for suuurrre. Plus Vampire Knight is my favourite anime. **

**Ahah, I haven't even read the manga. I'm just watching the tv series. ;;.**


	9. Missing

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or its characters. I do however own Annabelle Locke.**

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

"Well, it doesn't look too bad. Just a sprain. You'll need to rest it for a few days, but other then that you should be just fine." The doctor finished his evaluation by placing a long stroke --which looked like a checkmark-- on the white paper against his clipboard, and then smiled reassuringly at me. "So just try not to move it too much. If it hurts at all, or you feel that something is wrong, just tell the Chairman to call me and I'll come back and take a look." He said.

I nodded quickly. "So does this mean I can skip school with the excuse of my sprained hand --because I don't know if I can write."

Yesterday I had punched Kira in the face. I could openly admit it now without feeling squeamish --the Chairman was already aware of that one violent act and had just given me more cafeteria duty as a punishment. Instead of breaking my hand like I thought I had, I was now being informed by this slightly podgy doctor that it was just a sprain, and that in a few days I'll be able to write again. I was not looking forward to that moment.

The doctor laughed, short honey-colored bangs folding over his eyes. He swept them away with his free hand before answering, "That's up for the Chairman to decide."

My eyes rested on the figure in the doorframe; green shawl and beige overcoat making him look slightly homeless. His mouth was in a tight line, lips thinned. Even though he had taken my vehemence with concern, the worry was still blatant.

It was early in the morning. The sun was barely reaching over the horizon when Yuuki came to my door in her pyjama's and informed me that the doctor was here to see me. Without my make-up or my hair done, I had groggily pulled on my rain-dried uniform and crunched my way over to the Chairman's house, and was now feeling the after affects of that motion. I could barely keep my eyes open.

"So what's it going to be, Cross?" I asked all to enthusiastically.

His posture displayed his thought process. Then after a moment he let out a long breath and came fully into the room. "I guess it wouldn't be wise to send you to class today. But Anna, just because you have a sprained hand doesn't mean that school is off limits."

"I know," I countered. A silent victory cry tore through my head. That meant no detention for skipping out on Mr. Yamato's class the other day. "I'll go tomorrow."

The doctor leaned away from me and stood, tucking the clipboard away into a black suitcase he had placed on the kitchen table. "Alright then." He said. "I won't keep you waiting. Return to bed and have a good rest for the next couple of days."

"Yes of course. Thanks." I turned my hand over in my lap, looking at the new placement of white bandages. I was never really a big fan of hospitalized gadgets. Back home I had just used a splint and a torn piece of cloth to help repair my broken finger.

The doctor was already gone from the kitchen when I looked back up, and in his place was the Chairman, seated on a duplicate stool in front of me. I heard the door open and close, and then silence.

Under the gaze of Chairman Cross, I lowered my eyes to my lap, waiting for the reprimand. But all I got was his concern. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Just fine." I replied lamely. "How's Kira?"

"Fine." He answered simply. "You have to learn how to control your anger, Anna."

"Yeah, I know." His eyes were sincere behind his glasses when my gaze moved to him, and even though it was meant to console me for my actions, it left me guilty --worse. I wanted to run like I always did. "I won't do it again. I promise. It was just a spur of the moment thing…I couldn't control myself."

Something applied pressure to my shoulder --his hand. I tried my best to smile to reassure that his father-like tactics were somewhat working, but it came out broken, torn between my raging emotions. Eventually I sighed and stood up, his fingers slipping from the dry, crusted Day Class overcoat.

"I guess I better get going." A yawn sifted from my lips. "See. I'm too tired to go to school."

His mood barely lightened. "Of course. Make sure you go to classes tomorrow."

"Yeah yeah." I gestured with my hand uncaringly. A lance of pain strung up my arm and I winced, pulling it back and stopping the movement I forced it to do. "Ow. I don't think I'm going to get used to this anytime soon."

The Chairman nodded, his face serious again. "Yuuki told me about yesterday afternoon."

I vaguely recalled the robbery with sigh, and turned my eyes away toward the bright green curtain over his windows. "It was a little scary, I guess. But they rescued me even though I could have taken the guy myself. Don't worry though, I'm used to seeing things like that."

"It would be best not to go down there for awhile. There have been reports about some criminal activity taking place at multiple shops."

"Yeah. Like I said: don't worry. I'm going to be sleeping for the rest of the day, anyway." I raised my one good hand and gave him a thumbs up.

The Chairman stood and walked to the fridge, opened it, withdrew something and then handed me a plastic container full of something obscured by the foggy tint to the box. It was cold against my one unwrapped palm. For a second I looked at the blue lid, imbedded on it a small circle emblem, then looked up at the Chairman's face with confusion written all over my own. "What's this?" I questioned, mystified.

Humour replaced the once serious, and he patted my shoulder. "I thought you may want some of my famous chocolate pudding."

One of my eyebrows rose. "Your pudding is famous?"

"Uh…well no." He dropped his head and withdrew his hand. "But it's good."

I laughed. It felt good to laugh. "Alright. I believe you." Pausing, I looked around at the homely abode with its white walls and green curtains, its potted plants and white clothed table, and then smiled. "Thanks."

The Chairman returned my smile and then led me to the front door. After slipping on my shoes I headed back to the dorm and snuck into my room as quietly as possible. But at this time everyone was up anyway, including Kohana, and the stares had begun to dig into my back. Gossip, I thought irritatingly, has its way of getting around quickly.

Kohana greeted me with a wave when I stepped in, and to answer her curious eyes as they rested on the plastic container in my hand, I said, "Gift for the hand."

She let it drop with a shrug. Then turned around and vanished into the bathroom. Things had been awkward last night when I returned to this room. Even though she pretended to be asleep, I knew questions were forming in her mind one after another, and that it must have been some straining effort to not bombard me with them. It was Kohana, she always had questions. I hadn't heard anything from Susan yet, and thought that maybe today I should go speak with her about what happened yesterday --you know, sort some things out.

When Kohana came back I was sitting on my bed, plastic container on dresser, and examining my hand. I knew she was going to say something to me when she sat across from me, her face heavily laden with concern. I wasn't primarily in the mood, but knew what was going to come had to.

"I can't believe you punched her." Kohana's voice was thick with disbelief. "I mean you just…punched her."

"That's what people do when they are angry," I insisted, laying down, making sure my sprained hand was carefully against my stomach.

Kohana shook her head. "That's not what I mean. I just didn't think you'd do it."

"Why? You know my history. I'm not exactly peaches and cream perfect."

"I know." With one finger, she scratched the top of her head. "I'm just confused. That's all."

"About what? Hitting someone isn't exactly something to be confused about." I let out a long breath, and tiredly regarded her from the corner of my eyes. "It was my mistake, not yours. Just forget about it."

"But that's the problem!" Kohana's hands moved jerkily from beneath her, waving violently in the air like she couldn't possibly try to explain what was on her mind. With a groan she gave up and settled with a sullen, anxious look. "I'm worried about you."

A moment passed when I just watched her. It was hard to believe that this girl was worried about me when she had only just met me a week ago. Our lives had undoubtedly collided. I turned my head away from her, my eyes locking onto the white ceiling above me. The fan twirled aimlessly in never-ending circles.

"Don't." I insisted.

"Don't what?"

"Don't worry about me."

Kohana's brows knitted together. "I can't just not worry about you Anna. You're my friend. If there's something wrong I want to know what it is."

What happens if I didn't even know what was wrong? That question burned me, forcing silence to struggle with my speechlessness. That answer was so far out of my reach that I hadn't even begun to think about reaching for it. I settled with the simplest of routes. "There is nothing wrong. It's just the new environment. I have to have time to get used to it." I said.

Kohana didn't believe that excuse one bit. Her hand reached for the ceiling again, a gesture of giving up. "And then you always do _this_!" One hand came down hard in my direction.

"Do what?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"Make up stupid things! I can see that they aren't true."

"You don't know that." I countered indignantly -- but I knew she was right.

"Anna!"

"Just forget it!" The heat was reaching up into my cheeks. I didn't want to yell at her, but if she continued to badger me like this, I couldn't tell what I'd do. This day was not exactly turning out how I had wanted it to. "Leave me alone!"

The look on her face told me she didn't believe what she was hearing. A small voice told me that I was being stubborn and selfish, but at the moment I couldn't help it, I had to be alone or else I'd explode. Even though my mind had begun to turn its natural gears of fury, my conscience wanted Kohana away from me when I did drain out all the emotions --I didn't want her to be stuck in my bloody torrent.

"Just go away. Go to school."

Those words clearly stung her. With a pang of guilt I watched her get up silently, pick up her bag, and leave. And when I was alone the weight of hurting her just piled on top of the weight of everything else. I turned on my side and closed my eyes, moving so that my hand had somewhere to rest without getting hurt. The darkness behind my lids was a haven I wanted to sink in to. But I knew that if I fell asleep, I'd just wake up to more suffering, more stupid events that would only make my life more miserable.

But I couldn't help myself.

It was what I was in this room to do --what the doctor had told me to do. So when sleep began to nip at the corners of my consciousness, I opened up my arms and welcomed it thoroughly.

--

__

I was in darkness. Cold, bitter darkness that didn't welcome me, but instead repelled me, pushed me away to the outer edges of its length, of its unnatural ability to stretch and cover everything. I stumbled but remained balanced, arms outstretched, fingers curling and fighting against the blindness pulled over my eyes. My senses were gone: sight, smell, hearing and taste. The only one that stayed was touch --but I wanted that to go away as well. For I was in a merciless cold. A cold that drowned me with its strength, burned holes in my flesh with its intensity, made me scream and toss as pain seeped into my bones and tore them apart.

And then there was a face. A face that tore easily through the shadows and shone darkly, blackened by its own darkness and malevolent aura. A face so pale that it made me shiver, made my eyes squint at the glow it made against the black. And yet I yearned for that face, felt my fingers reaching, wanting to brush that familiar skin. I wanted to look into the turquoise eyes that resembled my own, feel the dark hair brush against my cheeks when I hugged it. If I was capable, I would have thrown myself forward.

But the cold was restraining me like chains, and even though I struggled, they kept me back.

Don't leave me, I wanted to scream.

My mouth felt sown shut.

Don't go, I wanted to cry.

My voice wouldn't come to me.

And as the darkness began to cuddle up around that face, I cried. I felt the tears roll down my cheeks, leaving cooling burning trails of wet against them. I didn't want to wipe them away in case that would be my one final movement before the face vanished. Instead I wanted to reach forward again, and I did, my matching pale fingers twitching as they strained against the cold that began to freeze me.

And with my last breath, before I fell into the dark, before I merged completely with this shadow, I finally found my voice. A voice so faint that I knew she wouldn't hear, but tried anyway. With my last ounce of strength I said, "Don't go…mother." And then I met death.

"No!" My founded voice tore through my throat and I lurched up in my bed, both of my hands flying out to combat anything that tried to hold me down.

Nothing did.

My eyes searched initially for the source of the cold, of that undercurrent of ice I'd felt only moments ago, but there was also nothing. I was alone. Completely and utterly alone. There was no other presence to fight off, nothing to scream at and throw things at, nothing to fear.

Slowly my breathing calmed with my knowledge, and I placed a hand to my head to find it sticky with sweat. My hair felt lanky and filthy, and I had forgotten to take off my school uniform, so it crunched when I shifted to the edge of my bed and cupped my face in my palms.

What was that? I hadn't had a nightmare since I was thirteen, and now that they were suddenly being resurrected from the grave, I didn't know what to do. My therapist had told me that every dream is just a thought locked in a mental picture your brain creates for your entertainment. What thought was that? Did I want to see my mother again?

That wasn't possible. I hadn't spoken about my mother since I was young. I had had nightmares about her for awhile, but then they too vanished and were replaced with more twisted, malicious dreams. Was I undergoing some sort of painful memory flashback? Some sort of phase where my mind recalled everything I didn't want to bring up?

An urgent knocking broke the last remaining concentration I had on the topic, and I jumped, startled out of my mind. But when Kohana came in, I calmed almost instantly, exhaling all the sudden surge of instinct to stand and battle whatever it was that might have been in her place.

But the look on her face didn't give me the reassurance I was searching for when I brought my eyes to her own. Instead it did quite the opposite; it frightened me.

The color was drained from her skin, and both of her eyes were wide and fearing as if she had just had a runnin with a ghost. That look alone was what got me onto my feet, my heart flaring wildly under my skin with my clueless knowledge of what was going on, why she looked the way she did.

"What is it, Kohana? What happened?"

Earlier frustration put aside, she turned the anxious power of her eyes on me. I could tell she was breathless. "It's Susan!"

My heart stopped in that one small instant, and time froze with it. It took an effort to reign back my self control, to find my voice again for what seemed like the millionth time in these few short moments. I took in a deep breath and stabled my over-processing mind. "What about Susan?" I questioned eagerly.

"She's gone!" Kohana cried.

"Gone where?"

"She's missing!"

"Missing?" I had to repeat that word over in my head. I did it so many times that soon it lost meaning and I was just repeating nonsense, a jumble of made up words. Painfully, my heart seared against my lungs. Snapping like a working gear, I looked back at Kohana and shook my head --the denial stage setting in. "What do you mean missing? Where does someone go missing in a school like this?"

"I don't know!" Kohana threw up her hands and covered her face. "I went to go meet her at the cafeteria but she didn't show up. Then she wasn't at any of my other classes, and when I went to her room she wasn't there either!"

"Okay, so no Susan at school or in her dorm. Could she not be taking an extra course right now?" I tried to find a sensible solution to this dramatic scenario, but Kohana refrained from giving me what I wanted.

She shook her head, her brown eyes glossy. "Anna she would have met me! I know it! She never skips school!"

"Yesterday she tried to break into the Academy at night," I pointed out flatly.

"Yes, but you don't know what she is like!" Kohana tried to calm herself with a few deep breaths, but a sob broke through her lips and she crumbled onto the floor, her head deeply cupped in her hands. "I know she's missing, Anna! I just know it!"

"Then where could she be?" My mind flipped over everything I had done with the brunette. But all we had done was talked and gone down to the library, things that really didn't give me any type of clue of where the girl could have run off to. Maybe Kohana was overreacting and Susan was just getting tutored or something, but when Kohana looked as broken down as she did, I couldn't voice that option. I had to go with her intuition and yes, I had to trust the fact that Kohana was sincere.

We had to find Susan.

"I don't know!" Kohana sobbed, getting to her feet and pacing. With a fist she rubbed at her eyes. "This feels exactly like the characters in that book you have."

I whirled on her, baffled. "What book?"

"That one!" Kohana pointed to the black covered book Susan had gotten me on the first trip to the library. I hadn't known Kohana had taken an interest in it, but now I could see a neon green bookmark near the end of the pages. Kohana changed subjects, announcing her disbelief and concern. "I can't believe she's gone! Anna we have to find her!"

Fear laced through me, forming a knot in my stomach. I don't know why I responded so heavily to looking at that book, but I knew something wasn't right, and I knew that Susan was not alright either. All former thoughts of her being with someone from the school disappeared in one quiet moment, and I stood as still as stone, staring wide-eyed at the broken heart on the front cover of the book.

"What's wrong?" Kohana asked through a sob. Her worry was elsewhere.

"Kohana, go tell Yuuki and Zero what happened." I ordered mechanically.

She responded like I thought she would, red faced and mouth open. "What? No! We'll get into trouble!"

"For what?!" I flared up, turning to glare at her. "Just do it! Tell them everything!"

In the next second I was wrenching open the door, smelling the Sun dorms natural fragrance of lavender, feeling the blatant worry fill me. Kohana was at my side, tugging at my shoulders with her hands.

"Where are you going?!" She screamed.

"To the library! I know she's there." I pulled free of Kohana's grasp and turned to regard her carefully. I wanted to make this clear for the insanely paranoid girl in front of me. My own hands found themselves applying pressure to her shoulder. Ignoring the aching in my right palm took up almost all of my preserved control. "Look, go tell Zero and Yuuki that Susan is missing and that I have gone to help her. Tell them to go to the library called _Little Reader_." Seeing the apprehensive look in her eyes, I added, "Do you understand me?"

She only nodded.

"Good. Then do it, _now_!"

But I didn't wait for her to move first. I was already gone, leaving her willowy figure in the doorway calling after me. I had done this once before with another friend of mine, when she had run away from her parents and had stolen herself away beneath the underbelly of a bridge. I had helped her through this rough patch easily, all it took was a few words to cheer her up --all it had been was a social problem. But this, this felt different. This felt so much more dangerous then that one time, and I didn't know if Kohana's paranoia had slowly seeped onto me, but my heart was flaring, my mind rolling over all the negative possibilities of what trouble Susan could be in.

It was my mission to get there as fast as possible, to make sure Susan was just reading a book in the quiet section of the library, and not being harmed. I had to do it…I had to. I was the only one that could.

Getting through the Sun Dorm was easy, I had received only a few stares from girls who thought I was crazy --my face must have been painted to show exactly what I was feeling: terror. But outside, that was much more difficult. Because there was such a negative number of students inside the dorm, that meant they were all outside. And they were, all grouped together and striding towards the Night Class doors. They were eager to get there while I…I was eager to rescue someone.

"Get out of my way!" I shouted, shoving a small orange haired girl out of my path. The rest of the females let up without a second hesitation, watching me, their stares making my nerves tick away one by one. By the time I reached the forked split outside the Academy, I had possible ideas of mass murder on my mind.

My head suddenly spun when I pulled myself to a close, almost terrifying, halt before I collided with the back of a male student. He turned curiously to regard me through small, blue eyes, but I didn't have time to apologize for the would-be accident. Other things were bombarding me with their presence, making me hurt, forcing me to continue despite the flaring fire burning in my lungs.

So much was happening, and there was so little time.

The sun had already begun to set.

First thing was first: Susan. Without another look around I jolted forward, my feet painfully clapping against the cooling pavement, sending small currents of shock up into my spine. My breath huffed out each time my foot came down, my lungs becoming large organs of burden.

The middle road disappeared quickly beneath my feet, and before I actually knew it to be true, I was openly free of the school, open to the downtown district fanning out before my eyes. I was almost there. Only a few more minutes needed to pass and I'd be inside the old, decaying town. I'd be wandering through each building yelling Susan's name.

No.

I'd be hunting out the library to make sure she was there and not somewhere else being torn asunder by possible maniacs.

Why did I have to be such a pessimist? Looking toward the negative side did nothing for me. It only made me worse. For once I had to think clearly, reach for the more positive side of things. Susan would be okay. She had to be okay. If she got hurt because of what happened yesterday, if it had been because of me that she came down here, I don't know what I would do.

The black gates passed me, the descending staircase into the town easily flying by with it, and then I was there, huffing and breathing and worried. It felt strange for some reason. An ominous aura clung to everything as I raced passed old, window cracked houses, worn down rusty sewer grates and railings, and even the ice cream shop.

Something definitely wasn't right. It wasn't just the lack of people either. It wasn't just the fact that yesterday I had been placed into a situation that involved a robber holding a gun to a woman's head-- it was something entirely different. This feeling, right now, was too dark and too difficult to understand, and I could not match it up to any other experience in my life.

Was I being hunted?

I didn't understand the possibilities of those words, so instead decided to pull my instincts away from rooting themselves into my thought process, and returned to worrying about my first priority: Susan. I had already made it to the church, and the library wasn't that far from here. It would only take me a few minutes, so in that instant, although they were burning in objection, I pushed my legs harder, faster, forcing them to move.

I rounded the nearest corner and then there, reaching up in an arc, its two front doors dark against the shadows of the long arch above, was the library. Its name was weathered and old, hanging on a metal slab above the doors, the printing red with rust. Even though I was this close, my feelings didn't abate.

Instead they intensified.

I could hear my heart in my ears, feel the rush of blood through my veins, distinguish which nerve was on fire. I was here, but I was not calm. I would only be calm when I saw Susan, smiling and reading a book, explaining to me that this had all been a deep misunderstanding. Something about the way the library looked right now didn't leave me open to that possibility.

I jogged up the few steps and touched my hand to the silver doorknobs. The doors didn't budge when I tried to open them; they were locked. Bad. That was very bad. This time I tried again with deliberate slowness, hoping that the first time had just been a small jam.

Nothing.

The doors strained but didn't open.

Damn, damn, damn!

I cupped my hands on either side of my face and peered through the large window beside the door. The inside was dark. I couldn't see much.

Another damn!

"C'mon Susan," I pleaded to nothing, "you have to be in there. You just have to be."

My failure resulted in my anger. Again I tried to open the door and couldn't; next thing I knew I was hissing and cursing and applying all my weight in pulling against the wooden slabs. Nothing budged. Nothing gave me even a morsel of hope. Everything I had hoped to accomplish had been sniped. I was a failure with a friend who could be in more danger then I could imagine, and my stupid little muscles could barely open the damn door.

What was I going to do?

After another look into the dark, blackness of the library, I found myself seated on the concrete steps, head in hands, thinking. If she wasn't in the library then where was she? I didn't _know_ where else to look. If this wasn't the spot she had run off to, then I was at a loss. It meant that I would go back to the Academy empty-handed, unable to bring Susan home, and I would have to face everyone and explain that she was nowhere.

But she couldn't not be nowhere! She had to be somewhere!

It was my duty to find her, to save her if something was wrong. I would put my own life in danger if it meant securing her safety. I couldn't deal with the fact that she may be getting harmed because I wasn't able to control my anger yesterday. Because it had to be because of that. Susan had left because she was depressed, because she thought it was her fault.

When really it was _my _fault.

If I had told her it was okay, that it was a simple mistake anyone would have made --that I had made it myself-- she wouldn't be in this situation. She'd be--

"Shut up Anna!" I groaned, gripping my hair in my hands, pulling it taut at my temples. None of this thinking was going to relent my paranoia. I had to stop and calm myself down, or else nothing would be solved. If I wanted to keep going around in circles blaming myself, I shouldn't even be here.

But I was, and I needed to button myself down to reality if I was going to make any progress. I stood, clenching my hands together at my sides, ignoring the deeply swollen pain raising up to bite at my right hand. It would have to wait.

The library usually wasn't shut at this time. I made sure my assumption was correct by looking for a time schedule glued to the window. At last I found it, grouped together with a few vacation brochures near the farthest bottom corner. It was, I assumed due to the color and position of the sun, only around six 'o' clock, and here it said the library closed around eight.

That means something was wrong, right? It had to mean that. With a spark of hope I moved back to the doors and began to bang on them with my fists.

"Open up!" I commanded of the weathered wood. "Open now!"

A shifting against them made me pull my hands back instinctively. I watched, amazed, as the doors shivered and groaned, squealing back against the floor as if they had never been locked, as if they had been open all along. The gaping darkness that they opened up to was intimidating, something that both called and repelled me. A trembling started low in my legs, and very aware of why it was there, I knew I was afraid.

__

Anna.

A musical voice called to me from inside.

__

Anna, come to me.

Whether it was me controlling me, or someone else, my legs shifted, moving me staggeringly towards the thick shadows. When I entered the room it was cold, freezing like ice was against my skin, caressing my flesh to the point goose bumps were visible.

"Susan?" I hadn't forgotten about my reason for venturing here. I knew she was here. With some unknown presentiment, I _knew_ it. I could _feel_ it. Somewhere in this library, poor Susan was probably scared.

But who was she afraid of?

The shelves that passed were ominous, leaking from them a strange dark aura. Overhead the ceiling was black, only small reflective shimmering from cold light bulbs visible, and the second level, visible from the center isle, was as isolated in shadow as everything else.

Something loud sounded off from behind me, and I whirled just in time to find that the door was closed, cutting off excess outside light. Only a little orange light was coming from the window beside it and the window on the second floor, arched in its stained glass perfection. My fingers clutched tightly around the metallic knobs when I got back to the door, and I tried to force them back open.

Nothing.

Was it locked from the outside?

No, no no no!

This can't be happening!

I whirled at the sound of deep breathing coming from somewhere behind me, a sound that made all the hairs on my body stand on end. But there was no one there. The isles were as dark and empty as the alleyways at night, and even if there was someone here, I wouldn't be able to see them. It was too dark.

"Susan?" The sound of my voice startled me --it was shaky and quiet. As I tried to figure out which dark corner my friend was hiding in, I reflected on the fear that was slowly making me ache. My hands trembled. "Susan where are you? Are you in here?"

__

Of course she is. Where else could she be?

I closed my eyes for a brief instant, soaking into that melodic voice entering my head, paralyzing me for only a moment. When I opened my eyes there was a thick band of light coming through the door behind the counter; a rich yellow that called to me. It felt right when I got closer, like I was breaking through a dream and wakening. Energy rippled through my skin.

__

Come to me Anna.

Of course I'd come to you, you stranger. There was no doubt in my mind that told me otherwise. My feet moved of their own volition, my hands reached up to unlock the counter door and I slipped behind it, advancing towards the beautiful light, _feeling_ it begin to stroke up my arms.

I was getting closer, loving it, admiring it, when I heard a faint noise to my side. Distracted, I could only offer the noise a single glimpse before I stepped through that door and fell into the light --oh that _beautiful_ light!-- and be free of everything, of all my burden.

_Because I'll free you_, that voice said to me.

And I wanted so very much to believe it.

The noise sounded again in my ears, a small hook lodging itself into my brain. I could feel the tug of it, the familiarity in that voice. But I didn't want to lose sight of the yellow beckoning to me, desiring me. I wanted to move into the warmth and lay there forever, become apart of it. Be loved by it.

But that sound always stopped me from taking the final step into the white room, to seal my fate and become forever a different person. And there was something about that sound that called to me deeply, forced a hand though my concentration and mingled through my thoughts. I didn't know what it was. How could I know what it was when this magnificent warmth was trying to pull me towards it? Trying to embrace me.

My eyes closed, my lips parting. The sound came again and again, but I chose to ignore it. It wouldn't hold me back from being loved. I would venture into this room, I would feel the cold, bony fingers of a man circling my upper arm and draw me closer, against the lithe body that smelt of… blood?

"ANNA!"

A powerful shock reverberated through me. It was like I was being pulled through a torrent of dreams and reality, digging and searching for a way out. But there was nothing real to grasp onto. I clawed at something in front of me, my head pounding, the feel of my heart returning in two powerful thuds, and I screamed as loud as I could before tumbling onto something dark and cold. My fingers felt their way around, brushing against a corner of something big and box shaped, and I clutched it hard, yearning it to rescue me.

"Anna!"

"Shut up, girl!"

The sounds were flares of noise in my ears, scorching into my brain and branding me with the differences between the two. One was high and child-like, the other low, raspy. But I couldn't see the faces that would distinguish the two apart. Instead my fingers started moving again across a slab of dirty wood until they found the outer edges of something different, of plastic and a fabric I couldn't identify. The thing shifted and I pulled back quickly, gasping for air at the start of my heart again.

"Anna it's me!"

But who were you?

"That's enough."

Something cold and long and slender grabbed my wrist, and I screamed again, thrashing at the cold that bit down into my skin, freezing ice into my bones. My heart thudded unevenly, painfully, the sound in my ears sounding like its death. But I continued to struggle, forcing out my other hand to grab onto the box's edge to keep me from going close to whatever it was that was clutching me tightly.

It was a counter I was holding onto. A sort of recognition filled me as my sprained hand slipped helplessly over its polished surface, hitting piles of things off the top, sending them colliding loudly to the floor.

"Stop that, you silly girl." The boney things left my wrist and moved up onto my neck, applying pressure until I was chocking and clawing for air. The monster's voice was everywhere, and the smell of his breath as it touched my cheek sent my mind racing into a new dream-like state. The darkness was stronger this time as it turned me around, holding me tightly in its iron fastened grip, and I saw stars.

"Anna snap out of it!" That feminine voice called to me, trying to bring me back, to guide me away from the cold. My lips trembled. "He's putting a spell on you!"

But the cold was growing and so was the darkness, and then I saw the light again. A shining love against what I feared --death. And I'd walk to it without a second thought. But that sound, obscured again, pulled me back. Kept forcing me to hesitate before I took that final step through the door and met fate. And this time it was so familiar that I had to listen to it, to pull reluctantly away from the light and turn my back on it, to meet the darkness head-on--

The cold ground was at my back in an instant, and I was spluttering frantically, trying to call air into my lungs. The finger shaped marks left a burning feel against my flesh.

"Stupid girl," A familiar masculine voice sounded from above me. "You should have walked into the light. It would have been so much easier for you. Now you have to feel the pain as I drink away your life."

Slowly I opened my eyes, to come to terms with what was happening before me. What I had been so blinded to see before. That man stood above me, his greenish blonde hair clinging to his face, framing a pair of blood red eyes, obscuring lips that were pulled into a high grin.

It was the man from the alleyway, the library keeper. Gerald. Darkness followed as my eyes closed and I tilted me head sideways, remembering the voice that had come from there as well. Susan. It was so familiar now. How could I have been blind to that sound?

Rope strapped her limbs to her side, making her helpless as she leaned against the back counter, papers scattered around her. Her eyes were wide, frightened, and trails of wet shimmered against her cheek. I opened my mouth to say something, but coldness swept through my arm, and I was hauled up by the man again, his other arm wrapping around my lower back.

His lips were at my ear before I had time to react, forcing coldness against their rims, lodging currents of weakness through my legs. "I smelt you a week ago and couldn't understand why you smelt the way you do. Why you smell so different, so strange from the rest of them. But as I sucked the life out of that girl, I trapped your scent in my brain. I was lucky you came back that day to check out a book, because I knew then that I could trap you."

I didn't understand what he meant. My right hand objected to movement, but I forced it against his chest in an attempt to loosen his grip; white hot pain lanced up my arm. But his arms only tightened, squishing my ribs.

"And it was so easy. Both to get you and to figure out why your bitterness is so repelling. Why your blood is so different. Because, my dear, when it is flowing freely," A stinging pain ran across my shoulder, and I cried out. Susan matched her own sob with mine. I could feel a trickle of wetness plump up at the spot that felt cut. "Its smell is ten times better then anything else's."

"No!"

With all the strength I could muster I forced my hands into the man's stomach, twisting and clawing until his grip loosened and I was staggering away from him, gasping and chocking on the air. With one quick reassuring look over the frightened Susan, I turned to the man who was now patting the torn shirt on his stomach, smirking as if my attempts had only amused him.

But there was something wrong with his teeth. They weren't normal for a human…they were… sharper?

A world of knowledge escaladed over my in a second, clinging to me in a blind rush until I was tingling and trembling from head to toe. He wasn't human I realized. Those red eyes were not contacts, not some freaky design to intimidate people…they were real. Then that meant his teeth --were they real too?

"You seem surprised." He chuckled, taking a step closer. Instinctively I took a step back, gasping as the counter collided painfully with my tail bone. He stretched out his arms as if asking for a hug. "After all the things you read in that book, after picking it out among hundreds in this library, you never thought that maybe yes, Vampires did exist? Why you silly little girl. I will surely enjoy drinking the blood from your clueless veins."

My mouth dried. Vampires? Those elongated teeth were a vampires? A monster that drained mortals of blood and lived off their body's juice? A painful cry tore through my throat as he took another step closer.

This couldn't be real. This _had_ to be a nightmare. Vampires didn't exist.

Vampires.

Fangs.

Blood.

They didn't exist.

They couldn't exist.

Science couldn't prove it.

_But we're real_. His voice said in my head, startling another moan of horror from my lips. The grin grew in length, hungering for my helplessness…for my blood?

He couldn't be a vampire.

The sharp pearly teeth reflected prominently in front of me, yearning to tear through my flesh, destroy my denial.

_He_ was a_ vampire_.

_

* * *

_**A/N: I thought it was about time to let Annabelle know about this little secret! Muahahah.**


	10. Truth

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or its characters. I do however own Annabelle Locke.**

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

Vampires do not exist.

Vampires do not exist.

Vampire cannot exist.

They can't exist because…because…

Would that mean everything in the world is a lie?

Would that mean everything that I had learned, had experienced, was just a lie? A non-truth? Something that no longer mattered because this, right here in front of me, this _thing_, was real?

"I love that face you're making." That _thing_, whatever it was, said to me. "It sends chills down my spine."

But if vampires existed didn't that mean werewolves and zombies could too? Did that mean that this world was full of abnormal entities laying low in the dark, seeking human flesh for their bellies, desiring out vitality to strengthen their own?

He took a step closer.

Because if that were true then everything would be a lie. From the start of my life to its end, that would mean our simple mortal lives as humans were nothing. It would mean that we were simply prey for the higher status, like a mouse to a hawk or a bug to a frog -- _we_ were food. So then did that mean that everything we learned and did in our lives were worthless, because in the end it was up to these _creatures_ to do to us what they pleased?

A low, screechy chuckle filled the air, followed by a putrid smell of copper. Susan cried out and called to me desperately.

My cheeks were wet.

And then if our lives were useless, and our blood food, what were we? We were nothing. We were no longer masters of Earth, but a smaller life form that fed another. We weren't all powerful humans, we were…nothing. Worthless. Meaningless.

"Your thoughts are delicious." The man --no, the _vampire_, cooed. "I can taste your tears on my tongue."

So if I was a victim and he the predator, did that mean I had to lay down and succumb to my fate? Perish because this creature wanted me too, because in the higher scheme of things he was stronger then I, designed to be my murderer? If he were my murderer and I his victim, why did I feel so scared? Why could I feel my pulse quicken with each small step he took towards me, closing the distance and sealing my fate further. This was supposed to happen, wasn't it? I was supposed to die as food.

"Anna! Anna, please snap out of it! Anna please!" Susan cried. Her tears matched mine in an infinite flow of terror.

Because I was crying. I could feel it. With each blink of my eyes a single drop of liquid would escape and leave a long trail of cold down my cheek. I hadn't cried in years. Was I crying now because I knew death was inevitably going to meet me? Did I not have a choice in this matter?

I had to have a choice. Everyone has a choice. But the mouse cannot choose to be killed by the hawk if the hawk wills the mouse to be killed.

My fingers brushed against something on the counter, and I picked it up absently.

The distance was filled with one quick stride of the man. Susan screamed as his hands wrapped around my arms, yanking me close to his body, my face buried in the white cotton shirt that smelled of decay. Greedy breath stroked my ear; a chuckle sifting from his lips.

"You're all mine," He breathed. I felt pressure on my cut shoulder and flinched, but his hands kept me still as stone. He pulled his hand back so that I could see his face and fingers. What I saw sent my stomach swirling. Though completely white, his skin looked deathly translucent, and his eyes were the color of blood --they smouldered. Those long teeth, so close to me, made my head ring. On his finger was a single ribbon of my blood, dripping from the tip a small droplet, which landed against my cheek. He held the finger above me so that I could get a clear view as he lowered it towards his mouth, pushing forth a pink tongue to catch a drop that was about to fall.

But what drove me to the next action was instinct and instinct alone. No sane part of my brain would have thought of such a thing. It was the mouse trying to free itself from the hawk's grasp, the bug that spouted wings and flew away before the frog had time to catch it. But instead this time, as a human, my weapon consisted of a long tubular object: a pencil.

With one of his hands gone from encircling me and raised for me to watch, he had unknowingly left one of my arms open and limp. Although my right hand was sprained, I clenched it around the pencil until I could feel the whiteness of my knuckles, the tension of the skin, and then quickly, my pulse heightening, I raised it above my head.

He didn't have time to react. His eyes locked onto the sharp point of the object, but even though he moved his bloody hand away from his face, leaving my blood untested, he couldn't stop me in time. The pencil's point drove straight through the jelly of his iris, gushing from it a thick stream of blood. Gerald screamed and pushed me away, and I fell to the floor with a grunt. The vampire thrashed around, blood seeping from in-between his fingers, running luridly across his wrist. The orange object stuck out of his eye socket at a strange angle.

But there was no time to gawk at the damage I had done to him. No time to wait until he withdrew the pencil and came after me with anger in his eyes, mixing dangerously with his hunger. Panicking, I scurried over to Susan, breathless and out of my mind.

"We have to get these off you!" I shrieked, pulling at the ropes that knotted her ankles and wrists together.

"You stupid bitch!" Gerald howled.

"Anna I'm so--"

"Shh."

I tugged at the ropes; they didn't budge.

Susan whimpered and struggled, tears continuously flowing down her cheeks. I wiped one away and held her face in my hands, forcing her to look at me. Those big sea-salt eyes were full of fear, a fear that only represented my own. No matter how much I tried to get the ropes off they wouldn't budge, and it was so dark that even just finding the pencil was a coincidence --anything like scissors would be a miracle to come across.

"What?" She whispered, her voice saturated in a silent trepidation.

"You stay here and don't make a sound." I answered just as quietly. Our breathing was rough. "I will come back for you when I--"

"No you can't! It was my fault you came--"

I shook my head. "No, it wasn't. Now just please stay silent. I'll take care of him and come back to get you, I promise."

Susan sobbed. "But he's a…He's a…"

"Shh. Don't worry about it. I'll be back."

"But Anna--"

"it's the only thing--"

"Found you." Gerald hissed from above me, making me jump. Cold fingers dug into my back, tearing easily through the uniform jacket. I gasped, Susan screamed, making my ears thrum, and Gerald laughed manically, hauling me up as easily as if I weighed ten pounds instead of a hundred and ten. With a straining muscle in his arm which I could feel, he whipped me around quickly, throwing me like I was a rag doll.

Arms out, I tried to catch myself on the counter, but my right hand twisted painfully and I collided with it instead of grasping it to straighten myself out. I flipped over the wooden surface and tumbled onto to the other side, my stomach bumping into the corner of a toppled over computer.

"Ah," I groaned, stroking a bump against my head with two fingers.

"It would have been less trouble if you died how I wanted you to." Gerald hissed through canine teeth, slipping over the counter and landing gracefully on two feet. With one hand he reached up and wrenched the pencil from his eye socket. A waterfall of scarlet liquid glided down half his face, soaking and spreading quickly through his white shirt.

Nausea struck me hard. I tried to sit up, but his hands were there first, forcing me back onto my feet by the collar of my shirt. Susan shrieked, ignoring my orders to keep quiet.

"Anna! Anna!" She cried.

Gerald chuckled, and I got a sweep of putrid breath across my face. His voice, like harpies, whispered into my ears. "Once I'm finished with you, I'll move onto her. Aren't I lucky, killing two birds with one stone?"

I ignored him and dug my nails into the skin of his wrist, but he returned my assault with a bitter laugh, unyielding in his hold on me. "You were lucky with finding that pencil and getting me when I had lowered my defences. But girl, I am a vampire. Do you think vampires are built to be hurt by measly mortal nails?" He threw his head back and laughed. "I am invisible. And you, my dear, are not."

One hand released me and wrapped around my throat, forcing the air out of my lungs. It tightened when I began to flail, and after awhile, when my vision spun in circles, I could only resort to grabbing onto the coolness of his wrist and trying to pry him away. But he didn't budge.

Was I really going to die? Here and now to this _thing_, that couldn't possibly be what he said he was: a _vampire_. I couldn't believe that, not even when he tilted my head back and I felt a cool rush of air against my throat.

"Your smell is so repulsive." He murmured, chalky lips moving against the base of my neck. "You're a real vampire repeler. I wonder why that is."

I moaned a quiet sound of protest, chocking on the lack of oxygen. His fingers let up for a second, giving me a chance to breathe, and he chuckled. "Don't want you to die right before I bite you, do I?"

When I tried to kick him, the tight grip returned and he rose me up and off my feet, to a point where I was flailing miserably in the air. With his free hand, he tore off the black jacket and ripped open one button on the white undershirt, exposing my neck. A whimper fled my lips.

It wasn't supposed to happen like this. I wasn't supposed to die like _this_. Not by some fictional fairytale character! This had to be a nightmare. It just had to be.

"But it isn't." Gerald plucked my thought from the air, and I moaned again when his lips came back down against my throat, testing the area. My knees wobbled. It was a good thing I wasn't on the ground, or else I would have toppled over. Every part of my body was flaring with cold, grotesque chills. "Now let's taste you."

"Anna!" Susan cried.

"No!" I shouted in unison, feeling the lips part against my flesh.

And then there was a blur of something in front of me and a loud rumble of…thunder? And the next thing I knew I was on the ground, on my stomach, clutching my fingers to my throat and gasping for air. The world around me blurred to a point where I saw doubles, then when it calmed I rolled over on my back and looked up at the man who had just nearly bitten me. His crimson eyes were elsewhere, in front of him. When I looked around, my first instinct was to find a weapon of some sort, but a familiar figure caught my attention and held it.

Zero was in the doorway. There was a silver gun in his hand, the same one he had yesterday at the pet store. The barrel smoked; it had just been used.

Gerald hissed and took a step back. "You're ruining my fun, vampire hunter." His eyes, briefly, flickered to me.

"Vampires don't deserve to have fun." Zero replied coolly.

I shifted on the ground and rolled back over onto my stomach, my eyes searching for something I could use-- _anything_ that could be formed into a weapon. While Zero held his attention, perhaps with this time I could be some sort of help. The relief was so strong that I just wanted to mold with it personally.

Through the dimming light of outside, barely visible anymore, my fingers scrapped around on the ground, pushing away papers and gliding over indescribable objects until I found something that reminded me, with their two looped handles, of scissors. A cry of triumph escaped me

There was a tug on my back, and quickly, before I realized it, I was being brought to my feet again, this time with my back against the chest of the creature; the scissors were lost to my prying fingers. Gerald's arms wrapped around me, pinning me to him; one arm snagged me in a headlock. When I opened my eyes, Zero's face was angry, a silent growl on his lips. He was only about a few meters in front of the both of us, the gun still raised, this time both at Gerald and _me_. I was being used as a shield.

"You wouldn't want to shoot through the girl, would you?" Gerald laughed against my ear, holding me almost protectively in the fold of his arms. I gasped and struggled, but he tightened his hold compulsively. "Vampire Hunter, what will you do now?"

Zero's eyes were conflicted, as if weighing out the options. For a second I wanted to just tell him to shoot through us both, even though that would inevitably mean my death, but at least if I died, I'd bring down this monster with me.

"You're so unfair, girl. Thinking of giving up your life to bring me down." Gerald murmured into my ear, amused, then made a sound like he was chiding me.

"Zero!" I called, my voice hoarse and weak and frightened. Those violet eyes flickered to me, and I held them as best as I could even when I so desperately wanted to close them. "Just freaking shoot the gun!"

His eyes narrowed, but his indecision was decided, cleared. He straightened out his arm, pointed the gun towards both of our heads. I closed my eyes, not exactly wanting to watch the bullet make contact with my forehead. And then I waited.

The man behind me shifted in disbelief. "What? You plan on killing her too!?"

"If it means your death, vampire." Zero answered acerbically.

I heard the withdrawal of the safety and knew that in seconds I would be a muddled mass of bleeding flesh on the ground beside this monster. And I was far more patient for this death then the other one, far more willing. Because at least it was from a human.

That felt funny to say.

So did this mean that vampires did exist?

Involuntarily I smiled, and opened myself up to meet death.

"No Zero don't!" A female cried out.

And the bullet didn't come. The vampire behind me tensed, but I didn't feel dead. Yuuki's voice was still ringing in my head. When I opened my eyes the brunette was in front of Zero, grasping the gun and shoving it towards the sky. His face was angry, torn and disfigured, lips pulled back over his teeth as he tried to wrestle the silver object away from her.

"What are you doing? Let go!" He protested.

"You can't hurt her! There has to be another way!" Yuuki shouted.

Yes, there had to be another way. I didn't want to die. A pang of heat rose through me, and then I felt smothered by these arms around me, holding me. I began to struggle again, given this second chance time to rethink my whole suicidal plan.

The vampire didn't let me go. "A companion of the Vampire Hunter's?"

Yuuki reached down under her skirt and withdrew a small metallic stick, which grew in length when she whirled around and faced us. "Level E." She said quietly, brows knitting together.

"Level E?" I whispered to myself, trying to make sense of it.

Gerald threw back his head and laughed, the chest I leaned against rumbling. "You sound like you are surprised! Ahh, I can't believe we've been disrupted. I was looking forward to sinking my teeth into your flesh." I felt the brush of something against my neck, and then realized it was Gerald's nose and mouth. I flinched and tried to recoil from it, but his iron grip stopped me from moving.

"Stop! Don't do that!" Yuuki said, concerned and worried and frightened. She shifted to come closer, but Zero pulled her back.

Just then a sound came from above. The vampire holding me whirled quickly, snapping my head back to the side, making my vision blur. The arched stained glass window on the second floor buckled and then burst open, and two figures slipped through quickly, landing on two feet in front of us. When one of them stepped forward and the minimal light glimmered on his face, I gasped.

"Ichijou?" I voiced my disbelief. In his hand was a sword. Behind him, stepping up, was the red haired Night Class student, Shiki Senri --I had heard of him, but had never met him. Both dazzled my eyes again with their infinite beauty.

"Damn!" Gerald growled. "What's this? Vampires hunting vampires?!"

Wait, what?

Time came to an altering slow, and I watched silently as Ichijou raised the sword towards us. "Let the girl go." He said, his voice surprisingly calm.

Did that mean they were…could that mean that the Night Class were really…

It couldn't be true.

None of this could be true.

All of it had to be a nightmare, and I was the center of its malevolent cruelty. I had to get away. I had to. If I didn't I'd…I'd….

I would what?

I would scream.

A loud sound tore through my throat, filling the room with my strained voice. I could feel the startled tension shoot up Gerald's body, and I took that single moment of distraction to lean down to dig my teeth into the flesh of his wrist. Blood seeped into my mouth, down my chin. My teeth hit bone. Gerald howled and pushed me away from him, and I tumbled to the ground.

"Damn woman!" He growled.

I didn't have much time. He was empty handed with hostages, and that gave the rest of the two sets of people a chance to kill him. I could already feel the recognition shoot through him. Then I felt the hands on my back, faster then an average person's. But I was already prepared.

"Don't touch me!" I yelled, twisting onto my back and plunging the scissors from the ground into his thigh. Blood squirted from the wound in rivers, running onto my clothes, turning my undershirt crimson. Gerald roared in pain, and I could feel his fingers circle my wrist, crushing my bone as he tried to pry me away from my weapon. But I didn't stop there. With a cry of terror, I forced the metal in deeper, dragging it down in a low cut, tearing muscle and veins with it. More blood hit me, showering my black hair in red. The smell of copper was everywhere.

Something grabbed my hair and yanked back my head, and when my eyesight brushed Gerald's I was suddenly flying. The air pushed against me, and the back wall collided painfully into my back. Books fell down on either side of my fallen form.

"Anna!" Yuuki cried out.

I could only see darkness around me; feel the pain of my sore body; hear the screeching of Gerald as he was backed into a corner.

"Don't!" I heard him howl. "No!"

"I'm sorry. But you've done wrong." Ichijou's voice came over on the air. "You must be disciplined for it."

Then I heard a scream, and then gurgling, and soon a sword being sheathed. I didn't hear the fall of a body.

"Anna!"

I heard footsteps but raised my hand to stop them. "No," I huffed, exhausted. "Susan…Over there." My voice failed me. I swallowed. I could taste blood in my mouth, and wondered sickly if it was Gerald's. I opened my eyes to see where I had landed. A pile of books lay across my legs. I was against the farthest wall opposite the pay counter. Weakly, I moved a finger to point in that direction, but a voice made that gesture unimportant.

"Yuuki! Yuuki! Oh god, someone help! That thing! He was a…was a…" Susan's voice was shrill.

_A vampire… _I thought, unable to believe.

Ichijou turned to me, his face unreadable. Beside him was a pile of grey…ash? Shiki leaned in towards him and his lips moved inaudibly. Ichijou nodded.

After Yuuki finished unbinding Susan, the small blue-eyed girl broke into a loud sob. She shook her head, voicing everything that I was thinking myself as I lay here, unable to move. "It was terrifying! He was a Vampire! He kidnapped me to get to Annabelle! He almost killed her! Oh Annabelle," Her eyes moved to me. "I'm so sorry!"

Yuuki and Zero exchanged looks, and then both of them looked to Ichijou, expressing a silent communication.

"Don't worry." I said softly. "I'm fine."

With one hand out to stable me, I hoisted myself up, using the deformed bookshelf as leverage. The pain in my entire body outweighed the burning in my right hand.

"Anna!" Yuuki was at my side in an instant, helping me stagger to the middle of the library. I didn't thank her when she let go, instead turned to look at the two Night Class students.

Did this mean they were…but they couldn't be. A rush of memories collided with me, forcing the wind from my lungs. I buckled, but Yuuki helped me stable myself once more.

"Ichijou." Zero said, his expression serious.

"Yes." Ichijou nodded and stepped towards Susan. The small brunette flinched when his hands touched the top of her head, and a bright purple light orbed at the place where he touched. Her eyes dimmed, her mouth opened, and then she fell slack. With his arms already out and waiting, she fell into them. He placed her down against the ground gently and turned to look at me next.

I stiffened.

What the hell had just happened?

My breath caught, and I pulled my arm away from Yuuki. But then both of her hands were on my arms, and when I looked at her, her eyes were sincere, apologizing to me silently. What was going on? What was happening? Why was Susan unconscious?

"What are you--" I turned to see Ichijou advancing. His own eyes displayed his apology. "What did you do?"

"I'm sorry Annabelle. Please don't make this hard." He said softly.

To hell with you. I had just learned that -- No, vampires didn't exist. It had all been just a big mistake, something that would turn into a joke sooner or later. Gerald had just been some nut job that thought he was a vampire. That's it. I flinched when Ichijou came closer.

My heart thudded in my ears, my lungs on fire. My whole _body_ on fire.

No. No, no, no, no.

Fear welled up inside of me. Time slowed until I was seeing only my instincts. And my instincts were telling me to run.

"No!" I shouted, flailing suddenly, taking Yuuki by surprise.

She gasped as I tore away from her, sending her to the floor.

"Yuuki!" Zero called.

But I couldn't stay. My feet were moving beneath me. My shoulder collided with Zero, forcing him out of my way as I stumbled out the front door, tripping on my own two feet.

"Annabelle!"

It was dark and cold, and the sky was clear and starry. Each clap of my foot sent the air escaping out of my lungs, leaving me running on adrenaline and fear alone. My body screamed to me as I fled through the town, yearning for rest. I couldn't give it that. Not after what had just happened. After I was just confronted with _that_. With the truth. The cold bitter truth that burned me.

They couldn't be real!

It had to be a mistake, a stupid bloody mistake.

Vampires were mythical creatures that people made up in their minds. Nothing like that could ever walk this planet, not unless this planet was a total _lie_. Not unless everything I knew as the truth shattered around me, leaving me in a bucket full of my own confusion, alone and desperate for answers.

I was aware of the tears running down my cheeks, dripping from my chin and sticking to my neck. That was twice today. Twice I cried. My emotions were leaking from me in bodily fluids now, instead of raging anger. What was I going to do?

I passed a boarded up house, and a small closed shop. No lights were on now. Possibly everyone had gone to bed. It was a good thing too. They would worry if they saw a girl running, blood splattered over her clothes and hair and face. I didn't want to have to explain.

What would I say? That I saw a vampire?

No, not a vampire. Something else.

It _had_ to be something else!

"It had to be!" I closed my eyes and focused on moving. A straight path was in front of me; I didn't have to worry about hitting a corner of a house or garbage pail. "They can't!"

My feet caught and I tripped, but even though I fell low to the ground, my arms flailing, I managed to get back up and continue, hoping that the others weren't on my tail. Hoping that Ichijou wasn't going to do whatever it was he did to Susan. Because if he did, I would scream and scream and scream. That wasn't normal. That purple light wasn't something that anyone else could do. It was something another _creature_ could do. Would do. But why?

What had happened to Susan?

There was too much to think about. My head felt like it was going to explode. I brought up a hand to hold it, to try and stop it from toppling over and bringing me with it. What was I supposed to believe? Was I supposed to be angry, sad, terrified, confused? All the conflicting emotions brought more tears to my eyes, which spilled over more and more, making me feel more stupid.

"No…." I breathed; my breathing was rough, making my words short and unclear. "It can't be true…"

I opened my eyes for a second, to make sure I was on the right path, to make sure I wasn't going to run into a wall. I didn't want to open my eyes. It felt like if I did I would let the horrible things back in, see the unwanted. Fear entered me again.

Something was blocking my path. Something dark and tall, something that was so close that I couldn't stop myself from running head first into it.

The body was cold and hard, and I knew it was a body because it felt like one, was dressed in soft clothes and smelled of something sweet. And I knew that maybe, perhaps, it was someone here to rescue me. Maybe I'd be brought to safety with this figure, because he was there to protect me. Right?

But what if he was a … something else? Non-human?

I cried out and pushed away from the body, staggering back and stopping only to look up at the face.

And I was both terrified and relieved at what I saw.

"Kaname-sama!" Yuuki's voice came down the street, but I didn't turn.

Those dark eyes were darker at night, that pale skin stronger, radiating more so then ever. If Ichijou was a --something else, then did that mean he was too? Is that why I was so lost around them. Because they weren't human? Because they were…were…monsters?

"Yuuki." The cold, masculine voice seeped from his lips in a low melody. His eyes flickered to the girl behind me, standing possibly a few meters away. I didn't have the courage to face her. Not now. "Zero."

My body tensed. I had only heard the one set of footsteps, but as I turned reluctantly the two prefects came into my sight. The intake into my lungs was painful. Yuuki's face was torn, Zero's serious. I was being hunted by them. They wanted to capture me.

"Her memory?" Kaname's voice said softly, monotone.

"Ichijou wasn't able to." Zero replied bitterly.

"And the vampire?"

"Taken care of."

"Then all that's needed to be done…" Kaname shifted in front of me, and I turned only to wince at the contact of his hand, _both_ hands, holding my face still in his grasp, forcing my eyes to look up and at the dark, smouldering depths of his own. My breathe caught. "Poor thing."

It happened very subtly. At first I saw his face clearly, then it blurred around the edges. A perfect face distorted by a rush of energy that surged through the contact of his hands and ran low into my blood, stopping my heart for a mere second. My thoughts slowed as if I were getting sleepy, but I could feel the intrusion; A strange pressure that tugged at things in my head, pulling at them with a gentle force that frightened me. I tried to stop it, I tried to erect barriers, but they were knocked down as easily as my will to comply to the invasion.

A small cry sifted from my mouth; I barely heard it. But the hands holding me stayed, and I reached up to grasp onto the backs of them.

What was he doing?

Weakness entered me, pulling me down into itself. I felt sleepy, exhausted. The days events were taking their toll on me. Purple light sparked from the corners of my eyes.

I remembered it from somewhere…but where? Where had I seen that light?

I refocused on the face in front of me. Emotionless. My fingers twitched against the sleepiness, rubbing the flesh of his fingers. I blinked, and he blurred more.

But he wasn't the only thing that blurred. It was hard to recall what happened just now. Something about…about…

About…

What was it about again?

Why didn't I know?

What was I thinking about?

_…Vampires_.

"Ah! NO!" My voice was alien to me, a second person's voice. Not my own. My fingers, brushing Kaname's, turned vicious, and I dug my nails into his fingers. "Stop!"

I shook my head.

His brows knitted together in slight frustration; he held my face tighter.

The world blurred again. The intrusion was no longer gentle but fierce. Everything began to slip away faster now.

"No!" My voice faltered weakly, but my panic strengthened me. With a scream I forced both hands against his chest; he let go almost instantly. I didn't look back when I ran passed him, but I could hear Yuuki's footsteps and him telling her to stop. Then I was alone.

The darkness welcomed me when I swerved out of town and up into the greenery. It invited me as I pushed into the closest forest, passing trees and breaking dried twigs on the forest floor beneath my feet. It welcomed me when I fell, smashing the front of myself against the ground. And it welcomed me when I breathed it in, hyperventilating, crying.

Vampires, my brain told me.

Vampires.

Vampires.

Vampires.

I was scared of Vampires.

…Vampires existed.

And then I met darkness.

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**A/N: This must be the longest time i've gone without updating. Hmmmm. Well, my friend came over with a new game, and we got caught up in it non-stop for a few days. Teehee.**


	11. Escape

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or its characters. I do however own Annabelle Locke.**

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**Chapter Eleven**

I awoke in a room not my own.

The walls were white with brown embroidery, the floors wooden. Across from me the windows were dark --indicating that it was night, and the curtains were a dark red on either side of them. There were large oak cabinets with doors of glass, from which behind were possible medical supplies. To the side of me long flowing green leaves cascaded down a white nightstand, tickling my arms with its tips. In the center of it was a large orange flower, full blossomed, with yellow pollen coating its inner petals. There was a note on the side, a small rectangular card with a beautifully scripted signature on it, which I picked up and squinted at.

_From Ichijou. Get better._

While it took me that second to understand what the card meant, something in my peripheral vision shifted, and startling me, I dropped the note and it fluttered to the ground.

In a chair beside the white cot I was laying down in was the Chairman, his eyes intent on my face behind his glasses. It took me a moment to find my voice, but when I did, it was hoarse and beaten.

"Where am I?" I mumbled, raising a few fingers to my forehead. It was clammy and hot.

A sound came from the Chairman as he cleared his throat, and then he leaned forward. "You are in the infirmary. The doctor says you have a high fever. Nothing to be completely worried about, but you'll need to rest it off for a few more days."

"The infirmary," I repeated, tiredly intrigued. I took another peek around the room; noted its bright, charming hospital lights. As something dawned on me, I pulled myself up in the bed, expectant for answers. "How long have I been here for, Cross?"

"Two days," He answered simply. "Kiryuu-kun found you in a forest on the outer edges of town. He thought it best that you be brought here right away, and I can see that he was right. You're very ill."

Again I felt for my temperature by putting my fingers to my forehead: hot and sweaty, like I was on fire. But I didn't feel any less sick then I normally did. I just felt exhausted, unnaturally drained. I closed my eyes for a moment, then shook my head. "No, I'm fine." I insisted.

"Even if that is true, I have asked that you stay here for a few more days." The Chairman smiled. It was a tense smile. There was more on his mind then just small chat. "We don't want you walking around with a fever, do we?"

"Of course not." With a sigh, I folded my head into my hands, cradling my face until my palms were burning from the temperature. My right hand throbbed, and I pulled it back to view the neatly, re-wrapped bandages. Something strange entered me then, and I squinted my eyes shut at the unknown feeling. Was it knowledge? Did I forget something vital? It felt like my body was taking on a far heavier weight then usual. "Cross…"

The Chairman looked up from fiddling with the flowers on the side table.

"Chairman…" I began again, "Why was I in a forest?"

His face grew taut, strained, as if he didn't want to hear that question leave my lips. But there was nothing I could do about taking it back --I needed to know the answer because…

Because I couldn't remember why.

I drew my legs up close to my chest, and formed a lock with my arms around my knees. Something I needed to remember was there, inside of me. Why couldn't a pull it back into focus? It was like there was a small barrier between me and that knowledge. I needed to knock it down.

The Chairman had seated himself back in the small, light brown stool when I looked up to gauge his reaction again. He folded his arms across his chest, and his jaw visibly tightened. It was a weird look for him --completely and utterly business-like, and there was a strange seriousness and prodding in his eyes that made me crave that hidden knowledge even more.

The Chairman started out by asking, "Why don't you tell me what you do remember from that night, Annabelle?"

For a moment I concentrated, trying to dig up what I _did_remember from my mind. I remembered the library with its cold arched stone and weathered doors, and I remembered Susan, her eyes wide and her lips chapped. "Susan." I answered breathlessly. "Susan was lost and I tried to find her. I went to the library and…" My mind pulled a blank. I bit my lip to try and bring back my focus, but after a second nothing came. A whole chunk was just…_missing_.

"I don't know." I muttered. When the full dawning of that knowledge, or the lack of knowledge, cascaded over me, I reached up and grabbed onto my hair, panicked. "I don't know! I can't remember! But it was…it was…"

_Scary._

The Chairman was at my side, rubbing a hand against my arm, trying in a desperate father-like approach to calm me. But I shook him off with a shrug of my shoulders, and turned to bury my head against my knees.

"Why can't I remember?" I croaked. My heart had begun to involuntarily pick up its pace. There was something key I was missing, something that had changed me. I _needed_ that information. Where was it, and why wouldn't it come back to me? Instead I looked to the Chairman for answers --his face was torn between two undistinguishableemotions. "Why can't I remember?" I asked him. "Why is there a…blank spot?"

No, not a blank spot, a temporarily _missing_ spot. I could feel the knowledge tinkering around in my head, but I couldn't _grasp_ it.

The Chairman leaned away from me, his expression guarded. There was something he wasn't telling me, something he knew and didn't want to tell me because, with my assumption, he didn't know if I could handle it. _I _didn't know if I could handle it. But I needed to know. There was something wrong with this situation, something terribly wrong. Without that memory I would be lost forever.

With my left hand I reached out and grasped his sleeve, yanking him forward so I could get a better look into his eyes. I hadn't noticed until my vision clouded that there was moisture building in my eyes. "What did you do?" I questioned softly, a small undercurrent of panic lancing through my voice. "Why can't I remember? Why? What did you do?"

His face softened, but his lips remained unyielding to form an answer to my question. My voice rose on the verge of hysteria, "What happened!?" I began to shout, forcing my hand to loosen the fabric of his arm and wrench the covers from my body. I was dressed in one of my white nightgowns, but the frantic emotional surge overloaded that small humiliation. "What did you do?!"

My shoes had been taken off, so the white tiles were cold against the soft pads of my feet when I stood up quickly --a little too quickly. My vision twirled like a spinning top and a wave of nausea struck me hard in the stomach, my head pounding. The Chairman was by my side again, grabbing onto my arms to keep me from falling onto my face, but I didn't want him to touch me --I didn't want anyone to touch me-- so I swatted his hands away and shouted. "Don't!"

The Chairman leaned away, dropping his arms, concerned. I sat back on the bed and shook my head until it dropped into the safe comfort of my palms. "Why won't you answer me?" I pressed quietly. "Why won't you tell me what happened. I already know that it was…it was…_frightening_."

Again he remained silent, and when I looked up there was a pained expression on his face, thoughtful and willing to tell me, but restrained in another sense -- like he didn't know if I _should_ know. But I _had_ to know.

"Ugh!" I threw up my hands and stood again, this time cautious not to send my body into an uproar. The ground twisted regardless, and I stumbled instead of walked around the cot, passing him while I had the thought on my mind. "Fine. If you won't tell me, then I'll ask Susan or Yuukior Zero. I'm sure they'd be able to tell me everything."

"Annabelle, this is a serious matter." The Chairman said.

I stopped and then regarded him coolly. "I know! I can't remember anything and you aren't going to tell me, are you?" My voice cracked as I took in a deep breath, "And I know that it was something important! Chairman Cross, I know it!"

He went silent, and then broke into a large grin that startled me. "Let's go out for dinner and sit around a nice table and talk about it, okay? What restaurant would you like to go to?"

"Stop that," I ordered, unable to take his humour realistically. He was just trying to change the subject. "Like you said, this is serious, right?"

He calmed instantly. "Yes, this is serious."

"Then I'm going to get answers one way or another. _Now_!" I squared my shoulders to try and make myself look determined, but the fire that passed through me made me stagger, and I ended up hunched and grasping onto the metallic pole lining the hospital bed. I raised my hand bitterly to stop the Chairman from stepping over and bombarding me with worries. Being ill was such a pain. "Alright," I huffed, "So I'm not exactly up for the full-powered search."

"Lay down then Annabelle and get some much deserved rest," The Chairman gestured to the bed. "We will speak of this later."

"No, we won't." I shook my head, and raised my chin stubbornly. "I didn't mean that I wasn't going to bother, I'll just have to take it slower." I decided to elaborate again, "Chairman, if I'm not going to get answers from you as to why I can't remember…then I'm going to find them out for myself."

I pushed off the railing, turned my back, and ran to the door. But something tall was blocking the only exit and I nonchalantly bumped into it. My head spun when I pulled away, a sweet perfume rushed into my nostrils and made me double over more. Instinctively I grabbed onto the sleeves of two long arms, and bowed my head to stop the twirling.

"What the hell…" I finally fumed quietly, closing my eyes --the smell was getting to my head-- and pushed back against the body.

And froze.

It should have been obvious who it was with the lack of heat, and the feelings that surged through me when that being was around. But the dizziness that struck me when my eyes met that of an emotionless Kanamewas terrifyingly strange, and I wobbled back until I was re-bracing myself against the metallic rail.

Something seemed to click when I examined the face; the black pits that were his eyes, the smooth pale skin, like porcelain, the perfect hair and the full sensual mouth from which behind were--

"Kaname-kun," The Chairman's brows rose. "What are you doing here at a time like this? The night class--"

"They're fine." He replied tonelessly. "I actually came to check on the girl, Annabelle. I see she is awake. How are you feeling?"

My breath caught when his eyes slid back to mine. Something about them was so familiar and scary, like I'd seen them in a different time. I waited for his face to blur and I didn't understand why. I didn't answer his question, but Kaname didn't wait when he saw that my lips had sealed closed, that I was suddenly holding back a splurge of emotions. He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

"How much does she remember?" He directed this question to the Chairman as if I had suddenly disappeared.

The Chairman shrugged and glanced at me from behind his glasses. "I'm sure it will come in due time, Kaname-kun."

Kanamenodded, twisted his head so that his eyes read mine for a single second before returning. "Are you willing to trust that secret in another person's hands?"

"What secret?" I cut in quickly, not feeling that being left out of a conversation with me as its main focus was fair. "Are you talking about the other night?"

Taking a seat, Chairman Cross rubbed a hand against his chin, thoughtfully. I whirled on Kaname instead. "Does this mean that you're in on it too? That you know what happened? Because if you do, by all means, _tell_ me!" My hands fisted; I could feel the digging of my finger nails against my sprained hand and winced. But chose to ignore the otherwise perfect 'ow' comment. Instead I became annoyed. "What is wrong with the both of you? Why won't you tell me?" My voice lowered dangerously, and it quivered again. "Why didn't you tell me he," I gestured to the tall, perfect male, "that he was…"

And then I stopped.

Not because I didn't know what the end of that sentence was, but because I _did_ know. Because my tongue swelled inside my mouth and a lump formed in my throat, just as a wave of fever heat rushed through me and knocked me off balance. I stumbled, unable to breathe, grasping the metal rail with both hands instead of one.

"Annabelle!" A shift and screeching of something against the floor indicated that the chairman had stood up quickly, forcing his chair a few feet back.

The memories hit me one after another, like a tidal wave breaking through the ocean and crashing to shore. I sucked in a breath, watching as my mind retold what it had forgotten, grasping at the floating bits of knowledge and forcing them back together. In a line, slow and painful, I saw it. I saw _him_, them. I saw Susan, frightened and tied up, I saw the librarian, cold and menacingly hovering above me in a lean, hungry way. I saw his teeth, I saw his blood-red eyes. I saw the desire flaring in his blood as he desired _my_ blood. And I remembered the vampire book I had taken out. And that one word hit me the hardest, like a swift, strong punch to the gut.

_Vampire…_

I gasped and my knees buckled below me, forcing me to slid slowly to the ground as the realization showered through me one current after another.

_Vampires._

_Vampires._

_Vampires._

How could I have forgotten? How could that _thing_, that creature, escape my memory even for a moment?

Gasping, I brought my eyes up from the ground, everything shifting dizzily with it, spinning. "Vampires…" I breathed, hardly even able to voice it, hardly able to _think_ it. "You…" I looked at Kaname's tall, lean figure. "You're…you too?"

I felt like I was floating on air, but that that air was as thick and heavy as a hundred pound weight, and it made me fall. Gravity was pushing me so far down that I didn't even know if I could resurface. Vampires? No, it couldn't be. The librarian couldn't be. It was a nightmare, right? Because if it wasn't a nightmare then it was reality, and if it was reality then that meant the whole world was one big lie.

"Annabelle…" The Chairman came up beside me and grasped onto my arms, lifting me easily onto my feet. "Lay down. I think it's time you learned the truth."

"No!" I pushed back, forcing my feet away from him. Stumbling, I returned to my slumped, horror-stricken position against the cot. My breath was shallow in my ears, which rung. "You're not…you can't be…"

"I'm not." The Chairman answered softly.

"A vampire?" The words were alien as they left my lips; a hushed whisper that shocked me with its emotional strain. My eyes clouded, but I wasn't sad --I was terrified. My heart was thundering loudly and painfully in my chest, and incoherently I placed a hand against my chest to calm it. "It had to be a nightmare…why would he…how could he…" My voice failed me, leaving me speechless. A hard lump clogged my throat at the memory of bloodlust fangs.

"Perhaps, Chairman," Kaname said from his place, having not moved an inch from my small melt down, "it would be best if I finished."

My eyes didn't shift from the white comforter in front of my bowed head. Their words were meaningless; everything was meaningless.

"Wouldn't it be best to try and explain the situation?" The Chairman paused, gauging my stunned, paralyzed form. "I'm sure…this would effect anyone as much as this."

"Of course it would. However, the option is there if you wish to choose it." A small sounding breath came from Kaname's lips. "If you wish to trust your work in another person's hands, I cannot stop you."

There was a long silence. One which passed quickly because of my slow, agonizing thought process.

They weren't denying it. Not once had I heard the Chairman say that I was mistaken, that I was wrong to think that fairytale creatures existed. He was as reluctant to shoot down the option as a nightmare as he was to tell me _why_ it wasn't one. And I knew it was because he couldn't. Because if he did tell me everything was alright and I had just been dreaming, then he'd be lying to me.

"Anna," The Chairman's voice was sincere, concerned, and I felt the brush of his hand against my upper arm.

What we both hadn't been expecting was my reaction. Instead of trembling and opening up to that comforting touch, I whirled and struck my hand across his, knocking it back as if it had burned through my skin. Because it _had_. I had trusted the Chairman since the first day I was sent up there to meet him, and now suddenly it felt like broken glass was falling over my head. He had lied to me. He was lying to _everyone_.

"Don't touch me!" Trembling, I pulled my hands back from the metal rail and touched them to my burning cheeks. Moisture collected against my fingertips: tears. "You're a liar! You knew what those things were!"

At the word 'those' I gestured a hand violently in Kaname's direction. "You can't deny it, can you!? I knew something was wrong when I first came here! I could _feel_ it! Why, why, why?!"

The rising heat in my body sent my head aching, and I slipped my hands from my cheeks into my hair, grasping my head in two hands.

"I'm sorry that I wasn't able to tell you sooner. You have to understand that this secret is to stop students from acting like this." Business-like again, the Chairman had begun to bleed everything out to me.

How was I supposed to act? Was I supposed to be happy? Was I supposed to smile and say everything was okay because originally I had found vampires to be interesting? I had found vampires to be interesting in books, only books. In reality things that killed humans --fed from them to sustain their life-- scared me. I rocked back on my heels, found myself sitting down on the bed, wide-eyed, speechless.

The Chairman took my shocked form as an advantage. That or he was simply a blunt person, and that since I knew everything already, there was no need to withhold the information.

"Cross Academy is a school where both vampires and humans live together in harmony," He said seriously, pulling back his stool and sitting down on it. "The Night Class students, as you know, are those vampires."

"Evil vampires…" I whispered, touching two fingers to my hot neck.

"No." The Chairman shook his head. "The Night Class are a group of vampires who are being taught to live in peace with the humans. Evidently we try to reach the young vampires in order to bring peace to the nearby future. That is our goal."

"But nobody knows…" I muttered tonelessly, gazing at the wall over the Chairman's head, not really seeing it.

Because vampires _existed_. How could they possibly? How could these creatures come from the books to live amongst us. They eat us.

As if hearing that assumption in my head, the Chairman narrowed his eyes and continued, "They don't drink blood. We have managed to find a supplement to sustain their bloodlust."

"But they're vampires…" I looked around the room, noticing the second presence had vanished. Kaname had left. "…vampires exist."

"Yes." The Chairman closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. "Vampires exist. But Anna, it is a secret that you cannot tell anyone. If the information were to get out--"

"There would be trouble." I filled in quietly.

"Yes." Cross agreed.

I nodded dully, returning my eyes to the small, safe spot on the wall. Then with a deep breath, I pulled myself back onto the bed, remembering the fever I was cooking up in my body, and laid down on the pillow. "I think I need to sleep." I muttered. "I think that if I don't sleep, I'm going to scream at someone."

The Chairman agreed wordlessly, and stood from his chair.

"Because if I don't sleep," I continued, folding my arm across my forehead, feeling the heat burn my flesh, "I'm going to faint."

"Yes. I will get the doctor to have a thorough look at you tomorrow." Chairman Cross pulled the blanket up and over my body, his expression still blatantly concerned. "Are you okay Anna?"

"I'm as okay as I will ever be after finding out that everything on this planet is a lie." I replied flatly, staring at the ceiling. "I just need sleep. I just need to think." Rubbing a hand against me eye, I pulled in a deep, long breath; it was shaky. "If I can't have that I'll…"

"I understand." The tea-colored haired man paused before he turned and left, then he surprised me by rubbing a hand on the top of my head, father-like. "This isn't an easy thing to be told. But I'm sure I can trust you. So please Annabelle, don't tell anyone."

I nodded apathetically.

"We'll speak about this more tomorrow."

A worry compelled me to say more. "Chairman?"

"Yes?" He replied gently.

"What about Susan? Is she okay?"

"She's doing just fine. Now good-night Annabelle."

And then he left. When the last flap of his green shawl vanished behind the closing door, and the lights dimmed until it was dark, I turned my head and gazed out the window. At the moment, I was so lost. Lost because I didn't know what to believe, what to think. Lost because I didn't know who to trust anymore. Lost because I was, in all, placed in a situation that flipped my life upside down, and sent me hurtling to the ground.

What was I going to do?

How was I going to be able to live with this knowledge?

No, a small voice in my head said to me, this isn't real.

But it had to be because I saw it for myself, had everything explained to me briefly.

No, the same voice denied, none of this can be real. It all has to be a lie.

My fingers flexed beside me, bringing in the cots under sheet. Already I could feel the re-thundering in my chest as my heart picked up its panicked beat. How could the Chairman ask if I was alright? How could he think that I'd take this with a certain serenity? He basically told me vampires existed. That the Night Class, _they_ were vampires. I swallowed. That the time the blonde had pinned me against the wall, forcing his breath against my neck, had been an act of vampirism, and at the time I was going to become a meal?

I shuddered.

Hadn't the Chairman told me the Night Class were good vampires?

No, not _vampires_. They couldn't be. Could they?

No.

No, no, no, no, no!

There was no point in trying to sleep, or even pretending to; I knew darkness wouldn't envelop me like it had the other day, when I hadn't _known_ the truth, so instead I flipped the covers off again and sat up. My head was throbbing, sending me jostling with sickness, and my stomach clenched tightly. But what was I if I couldn't even live through this after I'd just realized that--

No. Everyone is just crazy. I'm the only sane one here.

Yes, that was believable in its own mixed sense. Maybe this was all a joke. A joke my grandmother and the police back home were playing on me to frighten and scare me, to make me realize my mistakes and change. That seemed far more realistic then what I was already shown. That path of knowledge was much easier to cope with too, and I'd feel so much better if I could fully _believe_ it.

But I was torn. Half of me was in thick denial, another processing the possibility that maybe perhaps, even in this world, strange things could happen.

But vampires?

No, not vampires. Never vampires.

Carefully, I stood up from the small infirmary bed and made my way to the door, dipping only when a wave of fever spouted through me. One thing kept pounding on the insides of my mind, over and over again until I had no other choice but to comply. I slipped my hands against the door frame, breathed in until my lungs were strained to the point of exploding, and then opened the door.

Outside was ominously dark, an expanse that swallowed me whole as I shut the door behind me and adventured into the deserted hallway. Small shafts of pearly light came through the few windows on this floor --which ever floor this was. Moving a hand to my head, feeling its pounding, silent objection, I forced my legs to move until I was steadily walking down a set of stairs. As my body heaved with the nausea of fever, I grabbed onto the wooden banister and slowed my pace. Eyes darting from one dark corner to the next, I tried to force together in my aching head where I was and what was the quickest route of here.

Because I was running.

If I stayed here any longer, I didn't think I'd be able to take it. Like I was taught in my neighbourhood back home: run when your life depended on it.

My life depended on it now.

Slowly dragging my hand across the wall to keep me from falling, I bit my lip and narrowed my eyes against the darkness, hoping to find some sort of clue as to which floor I was on. Eventually I stopped at a tall window and looked out of it. I saw the forked road in front of the Academy, but it was a level higher then normal, meaning I was currently on the second floor and needed to go down another set of stairs --something I was not looking forward to. The sky was dark, clouds building up along the moon. Only a few pin pricks of white were visible towards the horizon. It was going to rain --another flaw that dampened my already bitter mood.

When the next set of stairs came into focus, I was all but pleased to drag my heavy laden body down them. But once my feet brushed against the cold, lower floor, I sighed in visible relief. No one had caught me. Even though I was radiating heat from every body part imaginable, no one had noticed and slipped out to follow me. For a second I wondered if it was the weekend and that was why the Night Class weren't popping up one after another to scare me, but then I remembered that the chairman had asked Kanameabout the Night Class an hour ago, and instantly I dispelled that thought. Either the _things_ just didn't care, or they did and just chose to ignore me.

I shuddered as I stumbled to the front door without leverage to keep me from tumbling over, and raised a hand to stroke the fine delicate knob. I was very aware of the pounding in my chest. The thought of being in a place with vampires when I was laying feverishly in the infirmary, weak and vulnerable, shook me to the very soul. There was no other choice then to leave. If I wanted to stay safe, then this was the best bet and way to do so.

I opened the door and welcomed the cold air. Autumn was coming fast by the feel of the small ice chips imbeddedon the wind, and I knew, even if I hadn't seen it before, that this place would look even more superb then it did now in the summer. Autumn was my month. Even though my birthday was in the spring, I'd always had a certain love for the withering and the dying, because I knew that sooner or later more beautiful things would grow in their places. A second passed of me standing still, eyes closed, breathing in deeply the nourishing air that seemed to wash away all the strain of my body, feeling it cool the smouldering heat plastered over my forehead.

Then I got moving.

The path to the Sun Dorm was as expected: deserted. The only thing I encountered were trees on either side of me before I got to the bridge, perched over the mound of fresh water, and passed by it. I wanted to dive into that water if it had a chance of rejuvenating me. I felt parched and burned, dizzy and sick. But I had to suck it up either way, because if I didn't I wouldn't be able to get out of here successfully.

Inside the Sun Dorm it felt absurdly more familiar and welcoming then the Academy, and I walked up the stairs and turned into my hallway with relief clinging to the backs of my shoulders. The rest of my body was, unfortunately, heavily weighed down by a deep worry and fear of leaving, or believing, which ever one. As soon as I opened the door to mine and Kohana'sroom, I quieted instinctively, assuming Kohanawas already asleep. Which she was, indicated by the lump beneath the emerald green comforter. I weaved around the dresser and towards my closet, where I furtively withdrew my suitcase and dufflebag. Once I had finished cleaning out my supposed school bag, I began to empty out my dressers and shoved the clothes into the packs. Then I got dressed in a pair of black pants, red T-shirt and a jean jacket. No way would I leave without my beloved make-up, so after I was done, I slipped into the bathroom and cleaned off my side of the marble counter, returning with a pile of eyeliner, lipstick, blush and foundation.

"What are you doing?"

I froze, and looked up from making space in my suitcase for the cosmetics. Kohana was slightly raised in her bed, rubbing a hand sleepily over one eye and then moving it to the next. She yawned and frowned.

"Anna, I thought you were sick…" Her voice distinctively held the note of fatigue, and I wondered if she was still half asleep. I hadn't yet been bombarded with questions. Perhaps, if she was still slightly in dream land, I could sneak out without warning her of anything suspicious.

"I am sick," I said slowly, careful not to say too much.

"Why are your bags packed?" She yawned again.

"Uhm…" I chewed my lip until I could pull something believable together. "The Chairman asked if I had any clothes I'd like to wear. I'm staying in the infirmary for a few more days --you know, because I have a fever and all. And he just didn't want me to be in the same clothes."

Kohana shut her eyes and made a small sound, like she was agreeing with me vaguely. Then she laid her head back down on the pillow. "Night." She mumbled.

Releasing a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, I stood up extra quietly and slipped the dufflebag over my shoulders, then reached down to haul up my suitcase. "Night," I replied. It sounded more like a goodbye.

I had everything I needed now, so I no longer needed to stay. I opened the door and slipped out, closing it softly behind me. Then I was in darkness. As I made my way down the hall and back down the steps --seemed like I'd been doing a lot of climbing-- I lowered my eyes to the ground and bit my lip, forcing the gears in my mind to work again. For once I wished my brain would shut up and listen to my body, but it's denial and its truth were forcing me to _think_.

Was this a good idea?

Of course it was a good idea. Leaving was the best thing to do in some strange situation like this. I never once omitted the fact that I was being completely ridiculous. Because of course I was being ridiculous. I was being both ridiculous for leave and believing the Chairman's words. Even though I knew both were right.

So yes, I was doing the right thing.

Outside again with the cold air, I shivered and put down my suitcase to remove a dark blue jean jacket and slip it over my shoulders. Then with one foot in front of the other, my feet as heavy as lead, I began to make my way back over the bridge and towards my safe exit out of here. It was only when I was in front of the Academy again that I took in a deep breath and steadied myself before I fell over. I should have taken a few aspirin because my world was spinning again, my head weighing down the rest of my body.

But if I nearly survived a close encounter with death, then surely living through this was nothing. Pushing forward was for the best. I needed to do this. I needed to rid myself of crazy things like vampires. Cross Academy was just not for me. My leaving would be positively beneficial for it. It had only begun to see real mischief when I was here anyway --the estranged girl who stole a car. I was sure that with my presence gone, this school would heal. So with my head high, my slackened grip on my suitcase re-energized, I turned my heel after giving the Academy one last glance and began my journey home.

But I was stopped by a voice. A voice that made the hairs on the back of my neck tingle. "And where are you going?" It said angrily.

"I'm going." I replied bitterly. "As in, going home. I don't think I want to attend this school anymore thank-you. Not after what happened a few nights ago. I'm sure you remember it, don't you, Zero?" Those cold violet eyes met mine in a lock of mutual abhorrence. For a minute we both sat, drowning in our conflicting emotions. Then I brought myself back with a large, heavy breath, and turned my eyes up into the dark heavens above. "Go away. I've already made up my mind. I can't…possibly stay here knowing all that I do."

"So Kuran-senpai decided not to," He muttered, mostly to himself. I didn't want the answer for I didn't have time, so I quieted down the curiosity and questions building inside of me. Zero, returning from his thoughts, narrowed his eyes. "Does the Chairman know about this?"

"Yeah, because I thought the Chairman would approve of me abandoning my education." I replied sarcastically.

His lips pulled back in a half snarl, and he shoved his hands into the pockets of his Sun Dorm uniform jacket. "You're not authorized to be wandering out night. Go back before I make you." He threatened.

For a split second I glared, and then I leaned back and started laughing. "Oh, yeah, like you could. Look, prefect, I'm going to do what I want. So just back off, okay? I don't need this bullshit."

Then I twisted around and started up my pace. Zero's strong hand wrapped around my right wrist and tugged, forcing me back around until I was gasping and wide-eyed, like I'd just been thrown about like a rag doll. He now stood in front of me, blocking my exit. Pain burned up my arm and I flinched, bringing up my other hand to try and remove his fingers from my hurt bones.

"Ow, you bastard! That fricken hurt!" I cursed.

"I'm not in the mood to play around," He told me, violet eyes darkening. "Now go back to your dorm."

His fingers loosened and I instantly cradled my hand against my chest, clenching my teeth to try and restrain myself from hitting him. It didn't exactly work as I wanted it to. With my left hand, I curled it into a fist and lashed out, snapping it sideways in an attempt to strike him across the face. He caught it easily with one hand, long sickly pale fingers folding against mine and tightening. His eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared. Zero was angry.

"Why won't you just leave me alone?" I shouted after a fleeting second. "I don't want to be here! Did you not see what happened that night?"

"I was there you idiot!" He retorted sourly. "Of course I saw what happened, I'm not blind!"

With as much strength as I could muster with a fever, I tried to pull back my hand. His fingers tightened again. I growled. "Then you clearly saw what I did! Vampires, right?"

He paused, scrutinizing my face, and then tossed my hand back as if it had suddenly burned him. "How much did the Chairman tell you?"

With both my hands, I threw them up and clutched them to the top of my head as if I was going insane. Because it felt like I was. "I don't know!" I yelled. "Why the hell do you care? All he said was that 'yes, vampires do exist'! Now let me guess," I pointed a finger at him. "You were in on it too, huh?"

His eyes slightly widened before narrowing into moon-shaped slits. "Why do you care?"

"Why do I care?" My voice became shrill. "Are you stupid? I was just told that vampires --you know, the things that bite you and--"

"I know what they are."

"Yeah, well, try being in my shoes! I think I'm going insane! That or I'm in a never ending nightmare!" I fisted my hands in my hair. "Which one would you prefer, Zero? Hmm? Insanity or nightmares?"

He didn't answer.

"So neither, right? I wish I could have that option. But I don't have it, do I?" I lowered my hands and glared at him, breathless. My head pounded with heat and distress from my shouting. "Now," I said, trying my hardest to sound calm after the whole breaking down moment, "get out of my way."

At first it looked as if he'd object, but then he closed his eyes, forced his hands back in the black jacket that hung loosely from his shoulders, and stepped out of my way.

"Yeah, I thought you'd comply." I hissed, reaching down and picking up my suitcase.

He glared, but this time when I passed him he didn't stop me. This was it then, I was finally going. I was going to take this knowledge to the grave, seal it up inside of me until it was buried so deep that there was no possible way of resurrecting it. If vampires did exist, and humans were the prey, I don't think anyone would want to know. The secret was safe with me.

Even though it made me feel completely insane.

Without a glance back, I began to make my way down the path leading to my supposed rescue.

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**Yay! Vampire Knight Soundtrack to listen to while I write. (cheers)**

**So I know...long time since I last updated. But alot of stuff has been happening...hardly any of it good. Most of the time I just couldn't write. But hopefully i'll be out of the slum soon. **

**Thanks for the reviews guys! I appreciate them very much. (smiles) I'll try, and try, and try to get these chapters updated as fast as possible. So stay tuned! (corny television line.) Muahah.**


	12. Intoxicated

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or its characters. I do however own Annabelle Locke.**

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**Chapter Twelve**

"Another drink please." I said out loud, holding up an empty pitcher with small alcohol bubbles at the bottom. The bartender gravitated towards me, and for the first time tonight took me in with a sceptic eye.

Not too long ago, after I had scoured the downtown district from left to right, I had come across a small pub called _Black Stallion_. It wasn't exactly what I'd call a fancy pub, or a normal pub even, but it suited what I had in mind. The creaking floorboards and peeling paint chips were easily ignored. Last time I had been in a bar was when I was fourteen and being sneaky with a few college friends. Of course at the time I was too nervous to drink, and had gotten off with the excuse that I got this hollow, ill feeling in my stomach. But now, with this weight burning in my shoulder blades, sitting back and enjoying a few drinks sounded like heaven.

I set my fingers on the dirty counter, tapped once, and then, irritated, shoved the glass further towards the hesitating bartender. He had a greasy complexion with greying stubble on his chin, and his dark hair didn't look all too clean. But the patrons –which were very few—looked as clean as the people at school. It made me wonder if this man spent all his money drinking his own alcohol rather then taking care of himself. "Excuse me," I said again, "I would like another drink."

In an unsure voice, he said, "Are you sure you're of age, miss?"

He should have asked me that before he'd given me two whiskey sours. "Yes." I lied casually.

He raised a brow. "Do you have any ID?"

Inwardly I groaned, and then turned in my stool and hauled my green duffle bag up into my lap. I fished through the contents –which was mostly the clothes I couldn't fit in my suit case—and pulled out a small rectangular card. It had a picture of a younger me smiling in a small box and the date and name of my school. Unfortunately the grade and date said my age was fourteen, and I had to ditch the card before placing it in his outstretched hand.

"Sorry," I muttered, shoving my bag between my knees. "Must have left it at home. I do however have this," I passed over a twenty and smiled innocently. "How about you give me another whiskey sour, and I'll add another ten bucks to the package. That way we'll both be happy."

The bartender looked from the cash to my face, and back again. Then with a reluctant hand he picked up the money, punched in the numbers to the cash register, and went to the back cupboard to begin making me another drink. I sighed in triumph and leaned back in the stool to view my surroundings. There were two males sitting around a round table near the back, flipping cards. A couple was swapping spit to the far left of me, and blushing, I turned away to leave them to their privacy.

A pair of wide green eyes met my wandering gaze, and I smiled down at the black cat who approached my unsuspecting feet. It began to purr and wound itself between my ankles, and I patted it on the back. It arched in ecstasy and meowed. A clunk brought my attention back on the counter, and I found my drink waiting for me. With a smile to the bartender I picked it up, raised it for a non-physical cheer, and then sipped away.

"You have a nice cat," I said after the glass was half empty. "Very cute."

"Not my cat," He answered simply, dipping a dirty glass under a running faucet and cleaning it out with a dirty rag. When he put the glass away in a higher cabinet, he turned to me and sighed. "Do you have any place to stay?"

I screwed up my eyes and watched him cautiously. It was now my turn to be suspicious. "What do you mean?"

"Look, run-a-way's come here all the time." He explained. "Don't get me wrong, you don't look like someone whose been on the streets for long. But the bags clearly give you away. One word of advice: go back to your home. I'm sure your parents are more worried about you then they are angry."

"Is that so?" I muttered, raising the glass up to meet my lips.

"Don't let something so insignificant stand in your way. Forgive and forget. Life is too short to hold a grudge."

I downed the cold beverage, feeling it burn my throat, and when it was empty I slammed it on the counter and asked for another. With resistance, the bartender told me that the one I just had was the last one. I scoffed and shook my head, "I have more money on my credit card." Actually it was my grandmothers credit card that I stole awhile back, and I didn't even know if she'd stopped the account or not. But it was worth a shot.

In a strong voice, the bartender shook his head and said, "No. That's enough."

"Ugh. You're no fun." I shifted in the stool and then stood up, passing him the ten bucks I'd offered before. "Fine. I'll be on my way then."

Once outside, I threw my duffle bag over my shoulder and curled my fingers around my suitcase. It was time to get going…again. But before I started I heard the bar door open, and the two men from the corner table filed out laughing and smelling of alcohol. The taller of the two, who wore a dark blue turtleneck and leather jacket, nudged the smaller one, who looked the most smashed. The two looked at me and grinned.  
I grinned back. Then unable to resist, I trotted over to them and put my bags down.

"Hey, baby." The tall, black haired male purred. I shrugged off his pick-up attempt with a wave of my hand, and looked back towards the bar door.

"Listen, would one of you be able to go back in there and grab me a bottle of vodka?" Why couldn't I drink more? I'd just found out that everything I knew was a complete and utter lie. If drinking underage was illegal, maybe they should make vampirism illegal too. "I've got money."

The smaller one looked me over from head to toe, and I returned his examination with a small, almost flirtatious smile. He blinked, grinned wide, and then turned to elbow his companion –which could have been his brother because they both resembled each other with their thick black hair. "Go get her some."

"Yeah, whatever." The lean male clumsily fished out his wallet and sauntered back into the bar, leaving me with this short kid who looked completely and utterly drunk.

"So," He scratched his cheek, and then pointed to the bags at my feet. "What's in the bags?"

"Clothes." I answered with a shrug. "I'm running away from my school."

The boy threw his head back and laughed. "Oh boy, I don't think I've ever heard that one before. Why are you leaving?"

A sour taste entered my mouth, and I pursed my lips. "Because I, um, realized that the teachers are bitches and I hate them." My lie got me nowhere. He looked at me, trying to make sense of the lack of truth in those words, but after awhile --and thankfully for the toxins coursing through his veins-- he shrugged and laughed again.

"Whatever you say."

Then the taller of the two kicked open the bar door and slipped out onto the sidewalk. "Hope raspberry is alright with you." He said, and although the bottle was one of those miniature, half ones, I took it from him happily.

"Perfect." I curled my fingers around the top and popped it open. Then I took a single sniff --it smelt of blue freezie rather then raspberry. But what the hell, what was a scent to me anyway? The whiskey sours had already dulled my senses, so I really didn't care. I put the bottle to my dry lips and tipped it up. A rush of searing alcohol dragged heavily down my throat when I tried to swallow.

"Wow, slow down with that. Are you trying to get hammered?" The tall guy raised a brow, and stretched out his hand.

I looked at it stupidly.

"Money," He insisted impatiently.

"Oh right." Delving into my jean pockets, I withdrew my last ten dollar bill, and shoved the wrinkled paper into his hand. "There you go. Thanks guys. See you around."

I screwed the cap back on and bent down to pick up my bags.

"Wait wait," The small boy insisted, and when I looked up there was an impish grin on his face. "Want to come to my house for a party?"

I didn't know whether he meant one on one or with actual people, but I felt drained and shook my head, denying his request. "I don't think so. Not tonight. I got to find somewhere to sleep."

"Hmm. Well, you could sleep at my house after the party."

So bold. A party didn't seem like a bad idea, but then again these guys could be the possible comings of premature team rapists. Again, I shook my head. "Sorry."

The tall boy put his hand on his brother's shoulder and pushed him forward, towards the street. "C'mon Jake, let's go. I'm fucking exhausted."

The smaller boy stumbled and then laughed, slapping his brother's hand away. "Alright alright. Listen," His wavering eyes tried to focus on me. "If you're ever in town come by the pub, and if we're there we'll hook you up with some big parties."

Unenthusiastically, I tried a smile and nodded. If I were to be stuck in a party knowing all that I do, I think I'd mentally shoot myself. But even so, the human gesture was something I was glad to hear and see once more. "Sure thing. See you boys later. And thanks, again."

"No problem." The tall one said, and then led his stumbling brother away into the night. I watched their retreating backs until they had turned a sharp corner and vanished. Even then I heard a howl of laughter, and couldn't help but smiling myself. At least they were still human in every aspect. Stupid and immature and completely and utterly free to do as they pleased. I, on the other hand, was now fighting over the possibility of vampires.

I picked up my bags without hesitance this time, tucking the vodka bottle beneath my arm, and then began to search with my eyes for a remaining sign of an inn. But there was nothing that even indicated an inn would be here in this small part of town. Most of this area was residential, and there was no doubt that everyone that lived here had their own house to go back to. Even if the bartender said that he'd met a lot of run-a-ways in the past, his pep talk most likely sent them jogging back to their door steps and apologizing to their parents. What was I supposed to do, go back to Cross Academy when I had been so sure of my escape plan?

I sighed in frustration. I wished running away could come with some instruction manual. At the moment I was totally lost for ideas. Either I slept on the streets or went back to Cross Academy to wait out this remaining night. But then I'd have to face the truth again, right? Whatever kind of truth that was. Instead I chose to sit down on the curb, once again letting the bags take up a space beside me. Right at this moment I truly felt like an outcast. Being stupid and irresponsible but safe all at the same time. I popped open the vodka bottle and took another swig, and another and another, until I could feel the stress wash away as if I had been held underneath a tap.

When I looked up at the sky, which was dark and flecked with little stars, the whole world shifted in slow motion. Then I fell against my suitcase and tilted the vodka bottle up to my lips again. This time I didn't feel the burn, not even the taste, just the yearning. Yearning because it was helping me. Because right now I felt like the world was below me instead of on top of me. It felt like I was flying.

Slowly, slowly, I stood up and reached down to grab my bags. I didn't really know where I was going, but I planned on going wherever the wind took me. I laughed for no reason. Actually no, it was for a reason, but I forgot almost instantly and slipped the duffle bag over my shoulders. There was a little more vodka left, but I felt that if I preserved it for later, I would be much happier and obliged to drinking it fully. Then I began my march through the downtown district, stumbling and seeing the world twist beneath my feet. It was an odd feeling, like I was on air. Yet with each step it felt like I was being weighed down with a million heavy anchors glued to my arms. I giggled, then shot a hand to my lips. I'd never giggled before.

Then it came to me. I was completely and utterly hammered out of my simple, troubled mind. Usually when someone was hammered they were with a bunch of people, but right now I was alone, wandering old sidewalks and streets, passing by flickering lamp lights that were bound to go out any day now. But the thing about being drunk is that you just don't _care_. I could fall down right now and roll the rest of my life, and I just wouldn't give a damn.

Vampires existed, and I just didn't give a damn --that was a total lie.

But what I did give a damn about was the fact that I was the one that had to leave the Academy. Why couldn't the Night Class leave instead? Maybe it was just because I was drunk, but that option sounded ten times better then the one I'd already chosen. Humans were supposed to go to school and have an education. I didn't see vampires included in that fact.

Anger rose inside of me, twisting my drunk feeling into something like a malevolent storm. I felt torn like I always did. Consciously I groaned. I knew that this plan of mine to run away and never return was childish, and I knew that if I was really up for it I wouldn't be having all these doubts. A suicidal person doesn't kill themselves when they doubt their whole plan --well, in usual cases they don't. So was running from my terror really something I was going to do? Or was I just saying that now because in reality, I had nothing else to do. Nothing else to believe. Was it because running was my only way to grab onto something of a stable life? Right now, after running from the Academy, my life didn't feel any better. Instead it felt as if I'd added ten more pounds to my whole load of problems.

The world continued to twist beneath my feet as I made my way up a set of stairs. The opening out of the downtown district was as familiar to me as the back of my hand, but in this state, with these toxins running through me, it felt as alien as it had the first time I'd come here. Unwillingly I picked my way back onto the main road, hesitant to get closer to the massive buildings peaking up towards the night sky. Right now the Night Class would be wide awake and roaming. But that was to be expected, right? Because they were, unfortunately, monsters come from the world of fantasy. Maybe walking down this road, wide and open and vulnerable to the unknown, was a bad idea.

So instead I twisted my feet and clumsily made my way around the main road, detouring. The forest was dark and scary, but since the alcohol numbed me from head to toe, my thoughts were restrained from wandering to what may come out and hunt me down. At the moment my main concern was meeting a person dressed in white. Hopefully they didn't come this far out of school limits.

But then again what if they hunted down animals and sucked their blood? A chill shot through my body, and I froze in mid step, my eyes darting out in front of me. Shadows consumed all sides of me; it was a miracle I hadn't found my way tumbling down some ravine. But then I remembered, vaguely, about Chairman Cross saying something about blood pills, and I relaxed. My shoulders detached from its previous tenseness, and I found myself fuming instead of terrified.

My emotions were as screwed up drunk as they were sober. It was like I was constantly in a shifting mood swing. One minute I was scared, the next angry. Was I going to cry next? My own laughter felt like slurred wind chimes, and the trees were like growing, blurry figures instead of just wood and leaves. I brushed by one and didn't feel it, and when I went back and rubbed the trunk over with my palm, my sense of touch felt dulled. Its wood was hard and sharp, but almost nonexistent at the same time. I laughed again and turned to continue on my path.

After about a minute --or was it ten minutes?-- I happened across a small clearing, giddy and heavy and angry all at once. I paused as the trees thinned and cleared, my hand outstretched on another trunk, testing it absently, and my eyes took in the shape of a shadowed thing in the distance. It looked like a smudge imprinted against a woody background, and of course, it drew me towards it. I was curious about everything right now, but at the same time didn't care. At this moment I didn't even know where I was, whether I was closer to my dorm or farther away. Right now only this black thing, that looked box shaped and triangular, had my attention.

As I neared it became far less obscured and far more real, and soon it took on a different color and texture. With its stone build and wooden support, I realized it was a barn. Why the hell was a barn in the middle of nowhere? Carefully I slowed my pace and blinked, squinting my eyes against the darkness. It didn't change all that much, just blurred a bit. Soon I found myself at the doors, hauling back the thick slabs of wood. They creaked and groaned in protest, but fell silent once they were safely pressed all the way back.

I had never been in a barn before. My city life had once resented the country style, and so I always found thick forests and grazing animals behind wooden fences to be repulsive. Now I found it fascinating. Whether it was the alcohol or an unknown curiosity, I was compelled to explore. My feet crunched on the straw, and my nose wiggled at the smell. It was putrid and different from what I was used to, but extremely satisfying in a way I could only blame the vodka for. My hands brushed dusty wooden supports, and when I looked up I noticed that the ceiling --or the lack of a ceiling-- was stars instead of brick. It was like a sun roof on a car, just expanded over this structures expanse.

An open mouth grin bloomed on my face. For some reason I wanted to touch those stars. Inside this barn it felt possible. I dropped my bags and vodka bottle to the floor, and reached with both hands upwards, grasping, trying to clutch a tiny prickle of light.

Something whinnied from beside me and I jumped about ten feet into the air, clutching my heart as if it would rip physically from my chest. Then I burst out in laughter. To my left was a snow white horse, its black eye reading me from the side of its face. That's when I noticed that this barn was far from vacant. Almost each stall was occupied by a large horse, and they were all staring at me curiously.

"You all must be lonely," I found myself saying. My voice sounded distant. "Not even a blanket to keep you all nice and toasty."

I wandered to the back where a stack of hay lay waiting to be eaten, but then marched back and picked up my vodka. "Don't want to forget you." I popped the top and, stupidly, raised the bottle towards the horse as if asking for a cheer. Then I took a swig. There was only a little left when I removed it and shook it in front of me. A whole bottle of vodka was swimming inside of me, not to mention three whiskey sours. I was surprised I wasn't face first in a ditch.

When I put it down I twirled aimlessly, feeling open and not vulnerable. This small feeling of euphoria was clearly the work of the poison worming inside of me, but I didn't care. Right here, in this stable, I felt free. Grabbing a star seemed like a simple task. Even when I reached up again and came back without an orb in the center of my palm, I wasn't upset. Instead I smiled and tried again. And I kept trying for possibly an hour before I gave up and sat down on my suitcase, panting from exerting so much energy that I clearly did not have.

Most of the horses had gone back to munching on small strands of hay that lay randomly across their cell, ignoring the fact that a lunatic was spinning in their barn. But the white horse was constantly staring, and I felt the need to stare back. Unfortunately with my wavering focus, I couldn't look for more then two seconds before the sheen of his white coat caught my attention. It shimmered like fresh white snow, and stupidly I wondered if it felt like it too.

I got up slowly, balancing myself on the stable closest to me. My back was to the front door when I stepped closer to the animal, raising my hands like that of a curious child. It made a sound and stepped back, its hooves clapping loudly against the concrete. My grin widened, and I advanced further, gesturing calmingly with my index and forefingers.

"It's okay," I soothed. "I won't hurt you."

Coaxingly, I took another step forward. But the horse, clearly with its anti-social views, bucked and kicked the back of its stall. I flinched, open mouthed by the act of violence. It didn't end there. The horse swayed its head angrily, trying to hit me, and when I stumbled back to safety, the horse grunted and returned to just watching. For a moment I was stunned enough to stay silent and still, wondering if the horse had any other plans that involved breaking out of its stall and coming after me vengefully, but when it did as much as flick its tail to swat away a few pestering flies, my fear turned to anger.

"Stupid horse." I cursed, brushing my sweaty palms on my pant legs. "Trying to attack me. Fine, be like that. Let's see who wants to ride you."

I stumbled back to my bags and sat on the suitcase, crossing my arms over my knees sulkily. If the horse didn't want me to go near it, then I wouldn't bother trying to calm the seemingly wild beast. It could rot here for all I cared. It had soured my mood. No longer did I envy the stars, no longer did I want to touch one and twirl happily. Instead I wanted to be angry. Now, with another mood shift, I remembered all that I had come here for, and tensed when little pins and needles threaded up my arms. I wanted to _hit_ someone. Where was Kira when you needed her?

I laughed at the memory, and when I quieted I removed the cap of the vodka bottle and brought it close to my lips. It no longer smelt of anything. This barn no longer smelt of fecal matter and animal sweat. I was in heaven.

Until something sounded from behind me, coming from the open door to the barn. I would have whirled like I usually did when I was surprised, but the alcohol slowed me down until I only groggily looked over my shoulder. Standing in the doorway, with his black uniform and silver hair, was Zero. Fortunately for him his presence was familiar, and I sighed in relief when the panicked start of my heart slowed.

Was I glad to see him, standing so still in the doorway, masquerading on my small lonely party? Of course I was.

"Zero!" I heard myself say before I could think. Only the thoughts that popped into my head were the things I was voicing now. No longer did I have the control to weigh out my sentences. "Didn't I just see you? It must have been only ten minutes ago that you were telling me not to leave. Now look, here I am, back and sleeping in a barn!" I paused, looked around me, and laughed. "Actually no, I'm not sleeping. I'm awake and having fun! Meet my friend," I gestured to the white horse, "The bitch of the west."

His first words caught me off guard. "Are you drunk?"

For a moment we were quiet and staring. Then I broke the silence with my uneasy laughter. When his face didn't hint at being broken by my good mood, I scowled and shook my head. "No, I'm not drunk." I grinned impishly. "Actually I'm just intoxicated."

"Idiot, that's the same thing." Zero's eyes were like blazing purple gemstones, and whether it was the vodka or the whiskey sours, I was compelled to admit that they were beautiful. Beautifully dangerous, like the vampires. "What are you doing here anyway? I thought you left."

"I did leave. Then I came back. Surprise." I raised my eyebrows to convey the feeling, and then raised the vodka bottle and shook it in front of me, gesturing to him. "Want some? It's raspberry. It has a nice kick and it really knows how to get someone hammered. Lucky little bottle of liquor."

The silver-haired prefect stepped into the barn and cast a fleeting glance to the white horse, then he eyed the bottle in my hand and his face turned repulsive. "No." He said coldly. "You shouldn't be drinking either. Its prohibited from school grounds."

"You surprise me by being such a goody-two-shoes." I sighed, curling into my suitcase and tipping the rest of the liquor down my throat. Casting the empty bottle aside, I leaned my head back and looked at the stars. They blurred and became a jumble of temporarily misplaced light. I started laughing. "I'm so drunk, it's not even funny."

There was a silence that would have made me suspicious and curious, but the tilting of the world made it impossible to care. I was too interested in the fact that time seemed to slow down just for me, and yet be just as fast as well. It was completely exhilarating.

But then I felt two strong hands grasp my uppers arms and haul me to my feet, to the point where I was dizzily confused and staring blankly towards the ceiling. Then I looked at Zero and my eyes narrowed; his pretty little face was distorted as well, but his eyes were cold like ice, and his lips were thinned in a silent scolding. I puffed up my chest and pursed my lips in an attempt to seem bigger, but it was a vain attempt seeing as the only thing keeping me from falling over was the hands on my arms.

"What?" I hissed. The alcohol that thrived inside of me made it impossible to squirm. "So what if I'm drunk; life isn't exactly handing me a bucket full of joy right now, is it?"

I watched Zero's face remain tight for about three milliseconds, before casting my gaze elsewhere --like to the stars again. But a fat puffy grey cloud was now high above us, and a string of anger surged within me.

"Let's get you back to the dorm before you mess things up," He growled, throwing one of my arms over his shoulders.

I merely snorted, knowing that at the moment my body would fail me if I tried to outrun him or punch him. But when he began to walk out of the barn I dug my heels into the dirt stubbornly, and then leaned my head back over his shoulder, eyeing my bags. I wasn't about to abandon my stuff. He paused, followed my eyes, and then pulled me off my feet with a jerk of his body so that I stumbled when he began to walk again. A huff of breath escaped my lips from the surprise, but quickly I regained myself and dug my feet into the dirt again.

"No," I said as strongly as I could. Somehow I thought I had slurred it so that it sounded like 'nnuuhh'.

"I'll come back for them." He assured me quickly, precisely, not without the bitterness.

"You're a liar." Huffing, I tried to yank my arm away from him, but his fingers tightened around my wrist and I slid, embarrassingly, forward as if I was on ice instead of gravel. His other hand gripped my waist and kept me steady, but at that moment I felt like being a child, so I kept sliding anyway. Then my bottom was on the ground and dirt was grinding into my black skinny jeans, and Zero's hands were recoiling. I wiggled uncomfortably, and looked up at the pissed Zero. "We're not going anywhere until I get my stuff. Do I make myself clear, Zero?"

I rolled onto my stomach to make it easier, then I made an adventure back over to my green duffle bag and black suitcase: crawling. Somehow all the energy had leaked from me as if I had some energy-zapping leach on my back, so I was left with as much power as an infant in a crib. Regardless, I still managed to grab onto my green duffle bag and sit up, watching as the very annoyed silver haired prefect came back into the barn to help me. But at that point I was satisfied anyway and allowed him to haul me back onto my feet and place me in a position where all I had to do was lean my weight against him and allow him to take me back to my dorm.

"So then you'll be sure to grab my other bag, right?" I questioned once he had successfully gotten me back into the forest without another delay on my part.

"Yes."

"Good. Then I won't worry."

And with a sigh I closed my eyes, feeling the energy completely leave me, but was then awakened by a very angry shouting in my ear. Whoops. I tried to look for the source of the noise and didn't notice that purple eyes were taking me in fiercely, and then I realized that I was completely limp, completely lugging him down with my weight even though it really wasn't that much. My back was hunched, my head lowered, my arms loose string. I didn't even know if I had accidentally fallen asleep or not, but there was a blank spot and I couldn't remember.

"Sorry," I murmured, trying to straighten myself up but failing. His grip tightened and he muttered something beneath his breath; too soft for me to care about.

"Just don't fall asleep." He demanded. "At least wait until I get you back to your room."

"What if I don't want to go back? What if I want to roll around in the grass and disappear from reality?" I knew that was never bound to happen, but a woman can dream. I was dreaming about the possibility of having a world without vampires, of those creatures that go bump in the night.

And just as I thought, Zero didn't answer. But we ended up in another clearing, and then I saw the three large mounds of white brick and pointed cathedral-like rooftops. Cross Academy. I was waiting for the unexpected pang of panic, so I wasn't bewildered when received it, what I wasn't expecting was the small sense of relief at seeing something so familiar. It was hard to admit, but I had been terrified of leaving and hitch-hiking my way back to old granny's house.

"Zero?" I heard myself say, but again, thanks to the alcohol, it sounded farther, unclear.

The silver head didn't move, but the violet eyes snapped in my direction. I caught them in the turquoise of my own. "What do you want?" He asked impatiently.

I took a moment to find the things on my mind and frame a coherent question, and once I did I unsteadily asked him. "Do you think of this place as your home?"

Perhaps that wasn't the right thing to say. Zero turned to me, regarded me coldly, and then narrowed his eyes. "Why are you asking me a question like that?" He answered, on the verge of growling.

"Well," I slurred, trying to take a step over a large rock imbedded in the tan-tinted gravel which Zero had failed to manoeuvre me around, "Usually people want to know the answers to the questions they ask. You don't have to answer, but I'm sure it will be beneficial to my curiosity --which is by the way pretty curious. All over the place, like stars in the sky." I stopped myself before I could go on. In all honesty, it felt like I could talk about everything and everyone and make absolutely no sense in doing so. It was great.

But then there was the downfall of being drunk. Something I've heard about by many, many friends, who all complained about it the next day. Hangovers. But even though I knew it was coming, I didn't care. At the moment the world was spinning and churning, and I was caught up in its delightful storm. My thoughts were scattering as fast as my vision, therefore the changing of topics was inevitable.

"Have you ever taken care of someone that is drunk, Zero?" I looked up to see him focusing on the long road ahead of us. So I continued, unperturbed, "I have. And it was really, really gross. Cause it was one of my friends, and she had so much to drink. It was like, uhm, 'oh no, she's drunk', right? And so I had to help her so that she didn't pass out and die."

I caught his eye and smiled. But his look wasn't one of fascination, more like a what-the-hell-are-you-talking-about look. Unfortunately any look was fine with me right now, and I turned to watch as Sun Dorm's white brick closed in on us --or actually, us closing in on it. My fingers gripped the duffle bag' strings reflexively, and a panicked shudder wracked my body from head to toe. When I tried to slow down in order to re-catch my bearings, Zero continued moving as if I hadn't even tried. Then once again my thoughts were scattered, the feelings numbed and died, and I was stumbling beside him in pure fascination with the trees, which swept by us on either side.

"Nice trees they have here." I found myself saying. "With all the big green leaves and big trunks. It's like, out of a catalogue. But then not a catalogue cause it's paper, and this is certainly not paper. It's more like," I reached out in front of me, my fingers curling towards my palm as if touching an invisible object, "reality."

Zero stayed quiet for about two more minutes --or at least I thought it had been that quick-- listening to my different topics and stupid comments change as fast as the slight wind current wafting through the Academy, which I knew I was voicing because inwardly I wanted to kick myself afterwards. Then he turned to me, his lips thin, and said, "Will you be quiet? You're annoying."

At first I complied willingly, but as soon as I heard a cricket pick up its mating tune, I burst out in laughter and tried to weave away from him to find the little insect. Zero's hands became iron fetters, and he kept me still as he brought me closer and closer to my dorm. Sulkily, I looked up at him, and then my expression turned furious. "Why are you so rude?"

He answered simply in a voice like cold steel. "Like I said, you're annoying me."

"Well, you're annoying me." I answered stupidly. "You didn't _have_ to carry me back. I could have slept in the barn, you know! It wouldn't have been that bad. I'd just throw a blanket over the stupid horse."

Zero ended the conversation by giving me another sour look, one which I sneered at and turned away from. Wrong move. I had almost forgotten about the state I was in, the one where the world spun like a wooden top --a world where everything shifted slowly away from me, but then came back at a full demanding speed. One where I was the centre piece. I'd seen the good side of being drunk, but the bad was coming faster then a bullet, and suddenly I was bombarded with these dizzy, sickening feelings. I stumbled, and Zero only took it as a stupid error in my walking, so just hauled me back up and continued his merry way.

But the movement itself only added to a nauseas wave that was upon me. In seconds I brought a hand to my mouth and glued my eyes to his face. "Zero." I panicked, and began tugging at him. Either I was going to throw up in a safe, secluded area like a beneath a tree, or Zero was getting the full fledged attack from my stomach.

He looked at me, and thankfully having noticed the sudden sweat break out over my forehead, released me instantly. I staggered back and away from him, turning so that I was facing the line of big trees instead of the prefect himself. Then I buckled over onto my knees and retched until I could retch no longer. When I was finished, I felt humiliated and embarrassed. Not only had a guy seen me drunk and stupid, but a guy had seen me vomit until I no longer could. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, and not wanting to meet the eyes that I knew were on my back, I crawled away from my mess and curled up on the ground, folding my arms beneath my head. Everything washed back ten fold, and my mood shifted again. I was here in Cross Academy, alone and terrified. I'd just realized that fantasy creatures weren't exactly fantasy, but real. Vampires, they existed. Everything in my life was a lie, had been a lie. I was the girl that scared people away, and had dropped out of school and stolen a car. The rush of emotions, as well as the earlier confusion, made the tears that much worse. Sobs shook my body, ridding what was ever left of my energy.

Then afterwards all I was, was an exhausted, drunken teenage girl, upset and confused. I sat up from my small secluded spot, and rubbed a hand over my eyes. When I looked over my shoulder, Zero was just standing there. I suppose he was more intelligent then he looked, cause he didn't say anything, nor displayed an emotion that he knew may get his head snapped off. Instead he walked back over and waited for me to calm down, to the point where I allowed him to return to his earlier actions.

Even though I knew Zero wasn't the type of guy to rub your back and whisper words of comfort into your ear, I realized that I really, really needed some sort of support in my life. I was an independent woman, yes, but I was also just human. And I needed an anchor. Or else I was afraid that I may just, possibly, fly off the handle and lose myself in this bitter torrent that was my emotions. But here I was, at this school, with no long-term friends in reach. There were phones I could use, but that wasn't the same as seeing someone in person. I had to face the miserable reality head on at this point. Vampires existed, and I was a lost, sad soul. No one could help me understand that more then myself.

I sat up and rubbed a hand through my hair. Then I dropped it into my lap and sighed. "I need to get some sleep." Slowly, I brought my eyes to Zero's face. Although most of the alcohol was now a cooling puddle near the trunk of a tree, some of it was in my blood. His face still blurred like a glass panel had been shoved in front of me. "Do you mind?"

Zero leaned down and gripped both of my arms. He was hesitant at first I realized, perhaps wondering if I'd retch again, but then I was on two feet and wobbling with my terrible balance. Holding me upright, he began to, once again, make his way to the dorm room.

Before I knew it, the Sun Dorm's door was in front of us, and he was balancing me against the wall and himself as he fiddled with the lock. I leaned against the cold, white brick, watching him unsteadily. Still I felt like looking around and exploring new and exciting things, but part of me was back to reality, holding in the urge to vomit up nothing but bile. Once I realized Yuuki hadn't shown herself --which seemed like an impossibly weird stretch, considering the girl was usually always with the prefect male-- my gaze shifted to the towering Moon dormitory right across from us.

Vampires.

I shivered involuntarily and began to rub my arms. But I felt absolutely nothing and dropped my hands, cursing the alcohol that numbed my senses.

"Come on." A voice startled me.

Zero had the door open and was waiting until my attention returned. He looked particularly irked, and I knew that I was just some stupid girl, foiling his stupid plans to look over the stupid school. I scowled and tripped my way into the building. It was dark and eerie, but comforting and welcoming as well. The smell of lavender was so faint, but it still managed to worm itself into my nostrils, and I inhaled peacefully.

For support, I grabbed onto Zero's arm. There was no way I was going to be drunk, vomit in front of him, and trip on my face tonight. The first two were already embarrassing enough. Zero realized what I was doing, and, even though slowly at first, helped me into the position I was in before --where he was basically carrying me. He helped me up the stairs, into the hallway, and then it seemed that was as far as he was willing to go. His hands loosened, and then he was wrenching open my door and waiting for me to go inside.

For a long moment I watched him. I didn't know if he wanted me to thank him, or just leave. When it seemed like the more time went on without a word or action passing between us both and his face became colder in the dark, I realized that he probably just wanted me to go away. An angry emotion sizzled in the pits of my empty stomach, but I ignored it and stepped into the room.

Kohana was beneath the dark green blankets, unperturbed. At least someone had a good nights sleep. Luckily I hadn't been gone for a day without a note --it had only been the night. Therefore, since Kohana was half asleep when I came in earlier, I wouldn't have to explain anything in the morning. It was only a small ounce of relief, but I welcomed it open handily, and smiled.

Before Zero could close the door, I shot out my hand and curled my fingers around the edge of it. Once he realized I was going to say something, an uninterested look passed over his face, and the steely emotion never vanished from his eyes. He probably thought I was going to say something stupid.

"Zero," I began, slowly, making sure my words sunk in clearly. "Don't tell anyone about this, please?"

He surprised me after a minute of silence by answering at normal volumn, "I think the chairman has a right to know."

My lips thinned and my jaw clenched. "No. I really don't think he does. I don't want people knowing I decided to run away…nor do I want people to know that I'm…yeah." I bit my lip and tried to relax, then looked at Zero in earnest. "Just don't, okay?"

He didn't answer. Instead he tried to close the door again, but I stopped him by placing my foot between the floor and the small gap of space between the wood and the wall. I wasn't done yet.

Impishly, I smiled. "Oh, and by the way, don't forget to get my bag. I'll be expecting that tomorrow." Then, quickly, I removed my foot upon seeing an annoyed expression slide through his eyes and lips, and the door slammed shut in my face.

Instinctively I looked back to see if Zero's anger had woken Kohana up, but when she merely moaned and turned on her side, I decided she was as dead as a corpse. Not even a car horn would wake her up right now. Exhaustion swept through me like a tide, and I found myself stumbling over to my own bed. The fluffy pillows welcomed my pounding head, and the mattress creaked beneath my weight. Heaven. For the first time tonight I closed my eyes and tried to go to sleep.

Unfortunately my amateur body wasn't about to let my abuse go without the consequences. For the rest of the night I was sitting beside the white toilet, my hands folded over my head as I faced the clear water. For the rest of the night I threw up nothing but my failure, my misfortune, and my stupidity.

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**Ahh. The intervals between these chapters just get longer and longer. I guess it's because the Vampire Knight episodes have been put on pause until October, and I finished reading the Manga, and Code Geass has snagged my attention, along with a book one of my friends has got me reading about his religion. **

**I will NOT give up on this fanfiction. It is on my mind almost ALL the time. I wake up in the morning and go "I should write more story." But then I don't and I curse at myself for it. No matter how long it takes to get chapters out, I swear I will continue this story. I will break through the writers block, dammit!**

**But anyway, thanks for the reviews everyone. I enjoy reading them all. **


	13. Forgotten

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or its characters. I do however own Annabelle Locke.**

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen**

"Anna, are you in there?" Kohana asked from outside the bathroom door.

"Yeah." I answered, squeezing a tube of shampoo into my palm. "You can come in. The door is open and I'm in the shower. Thank-god the curtains aren't see-through."

I heard her chuckle before she turned the knob and was in the bathroom.

There was no denying it: I was as tired as a person with insomnia. Thankfully my acting skills were pretty good, otherwise I wouldn't be able to get through this day running on lies. It was as I had expected. Awful. The hangover, that is. Not only did I have the dreaded headache, but I had a full fledged kick-in-the-gut stomach ache as well. Perhaps that was just the fever I had ignored the other day, risen from the grave to torment me for my stupidity.

Today I had woken up at five in the morning, after about an hour of sleep, and I was running on nothing now. Just a drained, exhausted teenager, trying to cover up the fact that she still should be in the infirmary resting, and should not be having such ill problems.

"Do you mind if I put on some of your eyeliner today?" Kohana asked, pulling me away from my thoughts.

I finished rubbing the shampoo into my hair, and then peered out the flowery white curtains. Kohana was still in her pyjama's, holding my liquid eyeliner between her fingers. Our eyes met in the mirror.

"Yes, I mind." I answered simply, withdrawing back into the hot water to rinse out the soap. "That stuff is expensive. Besides, I don't have that much money left…and I don't even know if there is a make-up store in town."

"There is. I've been there."

"Really? How come I've never seen it?" I applied the conditioner, and then scrubbed the loufah with a wad of pink, clear, strawberry-smelling soap --clearly Kohana's.

"I don't know. You're probably not looking hard enough." I heard a click and knew she had put my eyeliner down.

I wasn't about to tell her that I'd basically had my fair share of town, and that almost every store name was branded on the insides of me head, so I kept quiet and returned to washing.

"By the way," She began again; suspicious this time. "Aren't you supposed to be sick? All I heard was that you got back from looking for Susan with a fever. That you picked it up because it was a cold night."

There was a pang in my stomach that made me reach out and clutch the wall, and I tried to stable my breathing by telling myself that Susan was alright. It reminded me that I needed to check in on her and speak to her of what I --of what we-- were now aware of.

I rinsed the conditioner out carefully, thinking. While my fingers scrubbed, my brain worked. I wondered if it was right to tell Kohana everything, to come clean about it. Would she even believe me? But then the Chairman's words floated back reluctantly, and I knew that he wanted me to be quiet about this secret.

A secret I didn't even want to believe. Part of me was still in denial, and constantly throughout the night I was having back and forth arguments with myself. Did they exist? Did they not exist? How was I going to react when I faced the Night Class again? That is, knowing all that I did. It had confused me so much that in the end I passed out for the one hour before I was startled awake by morning birds.

"No," I said carefully. "The chairman allowed me to come back early." --I also needed to speak with the Chairman. I probably frightened the man by not being there this morning --that is if he even checked on me, or if Zero hadn't spilled the beans about yesterday night. Which also meant I had to talk to Zero. It seemed I was making myself a nice, long list; one where I didn't know where to start. "It wasn't a bad fever. He was just worried. But I'm well enough to go to school today. So, uhm, don't worry, okay?"

There was a long pause before Kohana answered, "Yeah, I'm used to hearing that. There's a fresh uniform on your bed. I think I'm going to go to classes early today."

"Alright. I'll meet you in math."

When the door closed, and I was alone, I startled myself by letting out a long breath. Not only was I hurting myself with this knowledge, but I was hurting Kohana. I'd only known her for three quarters of a month, and already I felt the weight of her worry and confusion on me like a second presence. On top of that, I had my own to worry about.

I rinsed myself off quickly but thoroughly, and then climbed from the ceramic tub, wrapping myself in a pink, warm towel. Laundry night must have been yesterday. I opened the door to let in some air and let the steam out, and the mirror began to clear around the edges. I knew I was going to look bad today, with all the throwing up and feverish warmth in me, but what I wasn't expecting was to look _that_ bad. It was absolutely horrible. And it would have made me gasp if I knew my make-up wouldn't be able to fix it.

My pale skin looked ghostlier, drawn and tight, and there were dark purple bruises beneath each eye. My lips were broken and chapped, my cheeks hollow, and my bright turquoise eyes were now cloudy and dark --reflecting my inner dread. With I sigh I pulled over my make-up bag and unzipped it. Then I got to work.

By the time I was finished I had managed to cook up an almost presentable woman. My hair wasn't as _big_ as I usually did it, but after the moment my wrists had gotten weak and frail from teasing it, I'd given up and just drenched the whole thing in hairspray instead. I'd messed up on my eyeliner quite a bit, but after a lot of fix-ups, and a lot of Q-tips (which I used to fix the tiny, unreachable mistakes) I'd gotten them just about right, and left it be. Then I was in my uniform, scowling at the clash it had with my black hair, and was out the door by the time the clock struck 7: 30am.

Kohana was sitting quietly in her seat when I plopped down beside her, breathless but on time. My head was throbbing and my stomach churning, but I was still proud that I was actually early for once, and couldn't hide my smile. Beside me Kohana was twirling a sharpened pencil between her fingertips; not even a glance in my direction. Yes, she was angry. As for what the reason or why, I didn't know. All I knew was that this anger was directed at me like an arrows head.

"Yes, on time, see?" I tried to level out the playing field by making her mood softer.

But she turned on me with a furious face. "Did you know you are not even allowed out of the school's borders? Did you know that going downtown is against the rules of Cross Academy? Did you read that in your rule book?"

It took awhile for the words to sink in; for the would-be argument to tickle my brain. When I answered I was dumbfounded and frowning. "No, I didn't --I didn't read the rule book. And that was random, why are you asking that anyway?"

"Uhm, maybe because you've been downtown more times then I can imagine and you're not even in a little bit of trouble."

"I _am_ in trouble. I have cafeteria duty I haven't been able to attend." I answered simply. No point in milking the argument. I wasn't in the mood to play whose-the-better-arguer. Reaching into my bag and withdrawing my notebook and pencil, I folded my arms over my chest and glared at the chalkboard. Mr. Yamato had yet to grace us with his presence.

"That was for a completely different thing!" Kohana complained loudly. Then she lowered her voice after a few people stopped what they were doing and looked over. "That was because you hit Kira!"

"It was a good hit too. My hand is still sprained."

"Anna!" She hissed impatiently. "What happened?"

For a moment I thought about telling her, thought about spilling out everything. Because maybe it would help me, even if she didn't believe me afterwards. But when I hesitated and had to think, I knew that it would be wrong to inform her. What if she acted the same way as I had? As I was doing --because in all honesty my life still felt surreal. Defeated by my own conscience, I turned back to the blackboard to see that Mr. Yamato was now at his desk, filing through a stack of papers.

I answered slowly, not trying to make the situation worse. "I'll tell you later. Is Susan here today?"

Disoriented by the change of subjects, Kohana half-nodded. "Uh yeah, she is. I'm meeting her at lunch --and what do you mean you'll tell me later?"

"Save me a spot at the table, then." For the first time this morning I looked around, eager to try and find the boy's eyes. But they weren't visible, and neither was his silver hair. Kohana's eyes were wide and curious when I glanced back at her, and I made a sound in my throat like a sigh. "I'll tell you about it later. Whatever you want to know. Just wait a little bit."

My brown haired friend thought about that for a moment, wondering if I was just saying whatever it took to get her off my tail. But eventually her tense shoulders released themselves, and she sighed. "Alright," Kohana mumbled. "Alright, alright. But you have to promise to tell me everything. And I mean _promise_. I don't want you lying to me, Anna. Please don't make me regret being your friend."

My eyes narrowed. "Well wasn't that just a lovely comment."

"I don't mean it like that."

"Then how do you mean it?"

Kohana looked down at the twisting pencil between her fingers. "It's just so much stuff has happened since you got here…"

"So much stuff that it is making you regret befriending me?" I asked impolitely, keeping my eyes locked on her.

With another heavy breath, Kohana shook her head. Pleadingly she looked back up at me, met my fiery gaze straight on. "No. I won't regret it. It's just that I barely know you. I just wish you'd tell me things. You don't know how frustrating it is guessing all the time without getting straight answers."

How wrong she was.

"That's all I want from you." She mumbled, glancing down at the desk's chipped edge. With her index finger she began to pick at a small hole wedged into the wood. "Just to tell me things that go on inside of your head. That's not asking a lot, is it?"

Yes, it was. But Kohana's intense stare was too hard to turn down. Not only would it hurt her more, but it would hurt me also if I retorted strongly in my favour, so instead I moved my eyes back onto the empty seat that was Zero's, and hurriedly sat up.

Kohana's gaze turned questioning; still hurt.

"I have to talk to someone about something." I explained, forcing my books back into my bag. "So I'm just going to sit up there," I pointed to the elevated level two flights above our row, and tried a smile. "Don't worry. I'm not mad. And I promise I'll tell you everything. Or well I'll try to explain, I guess?"

Kohana only nodded, and returned to watching her writing utensil twirl in her fingers. There was no denying that I felt guilty for running out on her like this. She was explaining her feelings, I understood that, but there were things I needed to know. Things that were, unfortunately, more important than what she was saying to me. I felt horrible and ugly for thinking that as I squirmed my way out of the isle and trudged up to Zero's empty seat.

Some short, brown haired kid was sitting next to it, so I tapped him on the shoulder and asked if I could 'borrow' his seat for the period. His freckled nose scrunched as if smelling something bad --a gesture I was used to seeing by the…_creatures_. But the kid was only in a bad temper, and groaned as he picked his things up and moved to sit with his friend: a orange-haired male reading a manga book. I claimed the seat as mine and flopped my bag down at my feet.

All that was left to do was wait. I wasn't the kind of girl to jot down people's schedule habits, but I knew for a fact --with all the teacher's lectures and scolding's-- that Zero had a bad habit of being late for class. Same with Yuuki; but at the moment it wasn't her I wanted to talk to. So I wasn't ticked off when class started and neither Zero nor Yuuki had yet to show themselves.

As Mr. Yamato instructed, I flipped open my new, just ordered math text book and stared blankly down at the page. For the passed three weeks I hadn't been paying attention in any of my classes --failure was just around the bend-- and even though I didn't know the consequences for utter, miserable failure, I really didn't want to find out. It was then I decided I would need a tutor. Someone who could help me through this stupid haze that was education. I would have to consult the Chairman with that insane twist to my bad ass self.

"Miss. Cross, you're late." The teacher said.

I looked up to see Yuuki, breathless, in the doorway. A nervous laugh sifted from her lips as she began her way down the stairs, carrying her bag.

"Sorry teacher," She huffed, slipping into her row and seating herself beside a dark haired blonde in front of me.

Zero hadn't been with her. Dammit. I looked back over my shoulder just in case he was sauntering behind her. But with no luck; the silver head didn't pop passed the door frame. With a curse on my lips I turned back as the teacher resumed the lesson, scribbling math equations from the book down on the board. How would I know if Zero told the Chairman or not? If he did and I found out, there would be hell to pay. I could promise that.

For the rest of the period I sat by myself, with my cheek pressed against the palm of my hand, not listening. It was hard to focus when you had just found out that vampires roamed free in a dorm very close to the Academy I was currently sitting in. Plus, I was also sorting through the list of things I needed to say and be careful of when speaking to all four of the people on my have-to-talk-to-list: Zero, Kohana, the Chairman and Susan. It wasn't fun. Mostly because I didn't know how they would react. All four of their personalities were completely different, and I still had to remember that Kohana did not know the secret of the Vampires either.

I sighed and rubbed my temples. Not only did I have a splitting headache and strong throb in my stomach, but now I was nervous and worried over the things that I knew, and over the things that I was questioning. I was also afraid of getting answers to those questions.

During the period I had managed to grab Yuuki's eyes. They made contact for a short while, before turning back just as Mr. Yamato turned around. This wasn't my seat. Clearly my intentions were as bold and pulsing as my make-up and hair. Why else would I be sitting all the way up here, alone?

Kohana hadn't regarded me all morning. She was still angry.

By the time the bell rang, I was leaning over in my chair and tapping Yuuki on the shoulder. Startled, she whirled around. Then smiled and raised her brows. I hadn't talked to her since the incident awhile ago, where I had shoved her to the ground and rushed off in my fear.

"Hi." I greeted in a whisper.

"Um, hello." She said back, filling her bag up with books. "What are you doing in that seat?"

I could see a bit of uneasiness about her. I wondered if that was just because I was still supposed to be in the infirmary, or because I knew something no one else did. Something _I_ wasn't even supposed to know.

"I wanted to speak with Zero."

Her large brown eyes widened slightly, and then turned curious; she stopped what she was doing, and tilted her head slightly.

"Yeah," I continued, awkwardly. "See, um, well…" Great. What were you supposed to say about some anti-social kid? I wouldn't be able to say I wanted to talk to him --she'd ask questions. Then again, she would probably ask questions anyway. I decided to come up with the lamest excuse ever --no, not decide, rush out in my awkward nervous state unintentionally. "I left a book on the table in the…um…hall. And someone said he picked it up. And I wanted it back."

She blinked, clearly not believing.

This time I decided to get straight to the point. "Where is he?" I asked.

Yuuki closed her eyes and sighed, then leaned down and picked up her bag. "Skipping." She said simply. "Zero does that a lot."

"Really?" My voice betrayed me --I didn't sound that all surprised. I reached down and picked up my own bag, and stood up. By now me and Yuuki were the only ones left in class --excluding the teacher who was rubbing the earlier lesson off the chalkboard-- so we decided it was time we left as well. I followed her up the staircase and opened up the door.

Unfortunately Mr. Yamato's voice stopped me from stepping into the hallway. "Anna, I hope you remember you have detention after school today." He stated simply, not looking away from his erasing.

Shit. I had completely forgotten about the time I had gotten mad at Kohana and hightailed it out of class in the middle of his lesson. Wasn't this day just full of joy?

"Yes." I took in a deep breath and bit my lip resentfully. "I remember."

"Good. See you then."

I caught up to Yuuki on the way to English, and tried a smile. It wasn't the best thing I could muster, but one that tried to hide all my ill-feelings. Time to get back on the subject at hand.

"Do you know where he may be?" Since the halls were now partially crowded with giggling school girls and lounging school boys, I had to refrain from yelling, but also had to speak all the much louder.

Yuuki shrugged. Then she stopped and looked at me seriously; a few students had to weasel their way around us, since we were now officially a road block. "Did he do something wrong? Was he rude to you?"

I raised my hands and waved them in front of me. "No, no. I just wanted to talk to him."

"Are you sure? I'll talk to him about it." Yuuki honestly looked serious…and angry. Apparently she knew the rage of her tall silver-head partner as well. But she was getting it all wrong.

I shook my head sincerely, giving up. "You know what, never mind. I'll find him later. Have a good day."

Yuuki's hand grabbed the cuff of my jacket before I could disappear down the hall. When I looked back over my shoulder, she dropped her hand and frowned. Only our eyes met. That was all that was communicated: the look. We didn't say anything, but I saw in her face an apology. She was sorry. And it went deeper then not being able to tell me where Zero was, it went to the day I figured out Cross Academy's secret.

The thought made me shudder, but I smiled again. "See you around."

By the time lunch rolled around, I was exhausted and beaten down to a pulp. Not only did none of the knowledge my English teacher try to fry into our brains backfire on me and make me confused, but I was hurting everywhere --on every limb, on every inch. Even my fingernails and hair were aching. Unfortunately with lunch came cafeteria duty, and I was stuck for half of it behind the counter of food, cleaning out potato peels from the sink and listening to the lunch lady grumble insults at needy, hungry kids.

Once I had managed to slid off my latex gloves and squeeze my way out of from behind the kitchen counter, I found Kohana and Susan mingling with a group of friends by an open window. The cafeteria was big in size and elegant like every other part of the school, but it also, in its own unique way, reminded me of the cafeteria at my old school. Of course that place was filled with ants and broken floor tiles; but the way people chatted and laughed, it was all the same. Lunch was, in fact, a school days recess.

"Hey." I said to the group once I'd managed to worm my way through half of the student body.

Kohana turned to me silently, and gave me a nod of approval, gesturing to a seat next to her. Mystified, I sat down. Apparently this had some how turned into a classified little group. And the glares from some of its members were all too familiar.

Kira was sitting on top of the table, feet tangling off one edge. Seika, her firsthand crony, was beside her, chewing on the remains of a chicken burger. She licked her fingers and glared at me, before taking a sip of her shake.

There was no bruise on Kira's face, I realized. Either she healed fast, or was applying a lot of foundation. A malicious part of me had actually wanted to see the damage I had inflicted, and flailed in disappointment when the opportunity didn't arise.

Across from me was Susan, who was looking timidly at a book in her lap. I wanted to catch her eye, because she was someone I had to talk to. Someone I _needed_ to talk to _badly_. Because she had been there that night, and I hadn't seen her since. Now she was suddenly up and feeling well, looking exactly as she had when I'd first met her. There was nothing that looked _wrong_ with her. In all honesty, she looked _healthy_. While I --I looked deflated.

Kohana nudged me in the side to catch my attention. Our eyes met, and she offered me an apple from her otherwise empty tray. Thanking her, I took it and started filling my stomach, which grumbled hungrily.

"So Anna, I heard you weren't feeling well."

I glanced up to meet those cold, metallic eyes. Kira flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder, and grinned. If I hadn't known any better, it seemed like she was enjoying herself. Seika leaned forward and rested her chin on her propped, folded hands, giggling at something.

I didn't answer right away, instead I finished up the apple and tossed the core onto the silver tray. Then I glared at her from beneath my eyelashes. "I was. I'm better now."

Pouting, Kira snatched Seika's milkshake and sipped at it. "Really? That's too bad. Do you believe in karma?"

"No."

"Do you believe in bad luck?"

"No."

"Do you believe in _anything_?" She tilted her head, blinking expectantly, innocently.

Suddenly my nerves were burning and I fisted my hands beneath the table, wincing as the strain of my right hand threaded pain up my arm.

"No." I answered quietly.

"What was that?" Kira leaned in, and then removed a silver chain from beneath the collar of her uniform. Attached to it, and between her fingers, was a cross. "Does that mean you don't even believe in _god_?"

Finally, as if hearing enough, Kohana leaned away from her friend Sazume and shook her head at Kira. "Kira stop. What are you doing?"

The blonde shrugged and leaned away, eyeing me with distaste. "I wonder if she's a Satanist. You look pretty witchy to me. And you have enough violence in you to clearly tell us something. Isn't that right, Seika?"

The orange haired fiend nodded, and then placed a hand to her mouth and giggled. A warmth spread throughout my face. It was hard to admit that I was becoming embarrassed. Embarrassed and angry. I should have known Kira was going to start up something, to provoke me in some way. I _had _hit her after all. But she still had no right to badger me and claim me as the schools one-and-only devil-worshipper; it was none of her business what I believed in, or what anyone else did.

"Kira," Kohana pleaded, "Just stop. We've already been through this."

"No, _you_ shut up." Kira's frenzy instantly turned on Kohana. "I bet she's brain-washed you. Hasn't she? You're in on it too? You as well, Susan, right? Captured by the failure, are you both?"

Susan looked up from her book, and for just a fleeting second our eyes met. Then she turned to Kira and shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about." Her small, thin voice muttered.

Bitter laughter filled the table. "Of course you don't." Kira brushed her hand through her hair, and sighed, as if finally letting the excitement die from her system. Her eyes moved back to me. "Serves you right for hitting me, doesn't it?"

"No."

I startled everyone when I stood up, pressing my hands flat against the table. Every inch of my body was on fire, tingling and yearning. Oh, if this wasn't such a public place, I'd have her on the floor by now, kicking and punching her t'ill I bloodied my hands. And with effort, I had to restrain that animalistic self with every thing I had --which wasn't a lot.

"You know what Kira? You're a bitch. I hate you. Now go die." A few perfectly assembled sentences.

Leaving her stunned, I twisted my way from my chair and tapped Susan on the shoulder. It was time to get cracking on my list of people to talk to. Susan was the only one present. When she looked at me: big sea-salt eyes wide and curious, I bit my lip and leaned down until we were both at eye level.

"I need to talk to you." I said in a whisper, glancing around and meeting Kohana's confused gaze. I could almost hear the birth of another set of questions in her head.

Susan whispered because I did. "What about?"

"Something in private. Do you mind coming with me to the bathrooms?"

For a long minute I thought she'd deny my request, but then Susan got up and folded her book between her arm and her side. "Okay," She said. "Let's go."

Perfect. On the way out of the cafeteria, I paused by Kohana's side and mouthed the words "later", as well as adding the icing to the cake by giving Kira a beautiful middle finger. By the time me and Susan were in the deserted hallway with ten minutes to spare, and heading to the girl's facility, I was beaming with triumph.

But it died away when we entered the bathroom and a new subject was lain out across my hands. There were vampires to discuss. Things I needed to know. As in what happened to her after that night. Or whether or not the chairman explained to her things that he didn't explain to me.

Susan stopped by the circular sink in the middle of the room, and put the book down on the marble ledge. In a small voice she asked, "So, what do you have to say to me?"

What did I not have to say to you? If anything, she should be the one freaking out about this whole mess.

I decided to start small, and then build my way gradually to the biggest problem of them all: the vampire infestation. Walking to a mirror that was imbedded across from Susan, I tapped a finger to my chin, and then turned to her.

"Well, for starters, what _happened_ that night?"

Susan tilted her head and frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, well, I mean that I didn't see you afterwards. I got a little scared I guess. I just want to know what happened. Did the Chairman speak to you. Did he tell you everything?" I was fizzing inside like pop. There was no doubt that I was anxious. I needed to know if she was having the same problems as I was.

But her face only betrayed a harsh confusion. Brows knitted together, Susan leaned back, scrutinizing me. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

My stomach literally dropped ten feet. For a slow, long second, my heart restarted itself, and a spike of fear swallowed me. "What do you mean you have no idea?"

"Well, what do you mean?"

"I mean that you were there. You should know what I mean." My palms were slippery and wet, and I wiped them on my skirt. "I tried to save you. You were scared."

Susan picked up her book and held it against her chest. "Anna, you're scaring me. What are you talking about?"

Upset and disoriented, I walked around the circular sink. "I'm talking about that night, remember? You went missing and I tried to find you."

Susan nodded. At least she understood that part. I jumped at that memory, with a flicker of hope rising in me. "Okay, so then I found you in the library," I rolled my left hand, trying to coax her brain to recall the memory. Maybe she was scared. Maybe they told her not to tell anyone like they had me. "Remember?"

But then Susan frowned again. "No. I remember waking up in someone else's room. Then I remember going to Marie's room and her giving me some aspirin for my headache."

My mouth went dry in that one instant. I straightened myself and leaned away. What was she talking about? "What night was that on?" I asked quietly, unable to comprehend.

"I don't know…um…" Susan looked down at her book, trying to remember. "Three nights ago, I think."

"That can't be possible…" I whispered, disbelieving. Speechless, I stumbled around and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked absolutely crushed. How could she not remember? It was such a big, life-altering thing. She was kidnapped by a vampire for gods sake, and here she was, telling me she woke up in someone else's room with a headache. Our eyes met in the mirror. What I didn't want to believe was the earnest look in her eyes. She really didn't know.

As I turned back, I could feel the hurt and the pleading in my face. I realized how much I had wanted Susan to know, how much I had wanted her to be here, crying by my side. Up until now, I had never felt so alone. So completely lost from society.

"But I saw you. I was looking for you. Susan, you went missing." I muttered, almost on the verge of pleading.

"They told me that you and Kohana were worried about me and were searching for me. But it's an easy mistake. I was in another room. You guys wouldn't have been able to find me."

"Who do you mean by 'they'?" I asked in a whisper.

"The chairman and a few friends told me the next day. He also said you had come down with a fever. How are you feeling, by the way?"

For an instant I couldn't hear her, my heart was thundering so loudly in my ears that it sounded like I was up against a tornado. "No, that can't be." I whispered after I'd found a place with my back against a wall.

"Anna?" Susan put a hand to my shoulder. She looked slightly concerned. "Are you okay? Were you maybe just dreaming?"

No. Not dreaming.

Slowly, I put a hand to my forehead. It was until my lungs began to hurt that I remembered how to breathe, and I swallowed a shaky breath. "Yes," I whispered apathetically, trying to hide the soreness of my body, the exhaustion. "Maybe it was just a dream."

"It was probably one of those real-life kind of dreams." Susan said in a small voice, still worried. "You know, the ones that feel completely real?"

"Of course. I'm sorry. It might have been because I was sick." I tried a laugh, but it came out sore and beaten. Why couldn't she remember? "Maybe I should go visit the chairman, or at least a doctor."

Susan, although confused and lost with my hope for figuring out something she couldn't remember, laughed lightly and tapped a finger to the book cradled in her arms. "I don't think you're that insane. Don't worry about it, I forgive you. Besides, one time I had a dream like that, and I scared my little sister stone straight when I accused her of taking my --and don't get me wrong, I know this will sound completely lame-- but I accused her of taking my watermelon Barbie doll." The short brunette tossed back her head and erupted into loud laughter, before rubbing a stray hand against the corners of her eyes.

Even though this was Susan's way of comforting me, I still felt hollowed out. Like I had once been a full, lush pumpkin, but now it felt like someone had violently spooned out all my insides, and tossed me away to become a stray item of trash. I was sore, confused, and a little irritated. If I could have done anything in that moment that would have made Susan remember, I would have done it. But, unfortunately, all my hard work had run dry --Susan didn't remember, and there was nothing I could do about it.

But why couldn't she remember? She was there, I remembered her face: wet, frightened, ghostly pale from retreating blood. She had said my name over and over again, snapped me out of the vampire's curse…but she couldn't remember any of it. It was as if someone had erased all of her memories of that day.

Desperate, I swallowed the agonizing lump that had formed in my throat, and turned my trembling lips into a smile. "A watermelon Barbie?" I asked, forcing my voice to be light, forgivable. Instead of resurrecting the question, I shut them down, un able to face Susan with the demands that she was there, in the library, when the truth had been revealed. "And I never knew you had a sister. How come she doesn't attend Cross Academy?"

Susan waved a blind hand, turning her round face away from me. "Oh, she's only eight. I'm sure, though, that my mom wouldn't mind planting her in this place. It is after all quite an amazing place, if I do say so myself." She grinned. I noticed that it reached all the way up to her eyes, and that the earlier mysticism had vanished all together, now being replaced by this cheerful good mood. For a split second, I wondered if it was just an act to make me feel better. If she was doing this because she didn't want me to feel embarrassed and humiliated because, in her opinion, I had had a nasty dream, and mistook it as real.

"It is pretty amazing," I bluffed quietly.

"Oh, have you read this book yet?" She tipped back the black book in her arms, enough so that I could see the pretty pink print scrawled over the front cover.

"A love story?" I questioned, reaching out to take the book.

But instead she pulled it back to her chest and cuddled it like it was her favourite stuffed animal. "Yes. But it is a tragic love story. One where the main character dies in the end."

Both my brows rose, and I regarded her with a fake haughtiness. "You do realize you just spoiled the whole book for me, right?"

Susan, who had been scanning over the books front cover multiple times with large sea-salt colored eyes, glanced up at me quickly, and then she blinked, as if she had just figured out her mistake. "Aw, I'm sorry Anna."

"No no," I shook my head. "It's alright. I'm not a big fan of love stories anyway."

"Well," Susan, perhaps a bit annoyed at her own mistake, looked down at the white pages, and picked out a piece of fluff that had been trapped between them. "I still think you should read it. There is so much more then the deaths. It is about courage and bravery, and a love so strong that--" She paused, sucked on her lips, and looked up at me. "I sound like Kohana, don't I? Talking about all this lovey dovey stuff."

Reaching out, I gripped her right shoulder with my hand and squeezed gently. "You've been infected with the Kohana disease." I told her, lowering my head in mock sorrow.

Unable to contain herself, Susan burst out laughing and shrugged my hand off. "The Kohana disease? Oh no, whatever shall I do?"

My mouth curled, and a swift flow of equal laughter followed, until both of our voices were mixed. It did feel good to laugh in these circumstances. But unfortunately I could hear the edge to my voice, the unwillingness to cope with the fact that Susan couldn't remember, that she didn't understand. That truly, I was alone with this secret. My heart felt heavy, my stomach dull and empty. I was nervous and frightened because I didn't know what to do, how to act. If Susan wasn't here to see me through this, then who would I turn to?

"I know what you'll do," I said, turning her around and applying pressure to her back. "You'll go back into the cafeteria, and kick Kohana's ass." With a gentle shove, I got Susan moving on her two feet.

But she stopped when the door was halfway open, and turned back to me. The smile melted from her lips, and again her eyes were concerned. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry."

"Are you sure?"

I nodded and gave her a thumbs up. "Yes. Now go have fun."

The small bookworm frowned. "You're not coming back?"

"There's only a few minutes left, so I may as well head to my next class. And you've got your stuff back in the cafeteria, remember?"

"Oh right." Susan tucked a strand of hair behind her ears, and without another look in my direction, left the bathroom.

And I was alone. Despite the dripping tap to my left, there was no other sounds except for my own breathing, which had cracked and turned under the pressure of my thoughts as they bombarded me. It felt like I was asking the same question over and over in my head: why couldn't she remember? And no matter how many times I did ask that, did try to find an answer, I came back empty handed.

My fingers curled absently around the tap, and before I knew it I was listening to the rush of water as it hit the bottom of the large circular sink. The water was cold against my skin as I washed my hands clean.

What was I going to do? If Susan couldn't so much as remember a tiny bit of what had happened --for it could have been trauma that evaporated her sense of awareness-- then how was I going to deal with it alone? It was hard to admit, but I needed to talk to someone about it, needed to understand it. The only person I knew of was the Chairman. But he was a bloody liar, an untrustworthy person, and a principle who housed vampires so close to a student body of fresh, young, teenagers, whose blood was probably boiling with their hormones. How could I ever talk to someone like that?

Dread hung around me, thick and unable to penetrate. At the very least I was waiting for the stress pains to begin in my shoulders, but instead the pain was inside, in my mind. For the last time before the bell rang over my head, indicating the end of lunch, and students began to bustle around like lunatic ants trying to find their mother, I glanced at myself in the mirror.

Pale skin, black hair that looked slightly dead with all the products and straightening, medium sized lips, large eyes due to the cat-styled eyeliner and eye shadow, and a look in those eyes of lapis lazuli that spelled horror, fear, and hurt. No longer did I constantly look angry, but now I looked worried. Gingerly, I placed a hand above my brow, afraid my image would shatter because it looked so thin, so distant, and I inhaled deeply.

The door to the girl's bathroom swung open, and a girl zipped in and went straight for a stall, slamming the door shut, startling me. I heard her intake of breath, and instantly knew what the urgency was about. Seconds later I heard the girl hurl up whatever she had put deep into her stomach, and slightly disgusted, I slipped quietly from the bathroom and headed for my next class: invisibly hurting.

* * *

**A/N:** **ARGH! Snap out of it! Snap out of it! I want to write, but it takes soo long to get a chapter out. Grr.**

**Alright, so just to clear up a few things about this update: In no way was the Kira fight meant to offend anyone. I'm just saying that because I know from experiance that some people can get offended easily, and I just wanted to say that it was just Kira's way of getting underneath Anna's skin. **

**Next, I'm going to answer a few questions: Athanasiamikee, i'm a little worried about saying that information because some people might get offended. I'm extremely curious about all types of religion, and this friend of mine was willing to teach me a bit about his. His religion is Wicca, actually. And it's pretty interesting.. not at all about those corny Witch movies that cast spells for dark magic and what not. **

**Also, Flaming-Amber I agree with you about 100 . Writing Annabelle's breakdowns are quite annoying. Sometimes I find myself saying "Get over it, gawd!" but unfortunately when I write her character.. it's just not possible to do something so fast. She's a fragile little girl, hidden beneath the roughness. But she will get her fire back, and that's a promise.**

**I'm glad --and maybe a little sad-- to say that finally, hopefully, since things have calmed down for her, that there will be some hints at romance (I'm sad because I just love writing zee action). This is the farthest I've ever gotten with a story ...ahem, because I'm so darn bad at finishing things! So I've never actually done romance before. And because I'm a lunatic, I try to make it slooow romance. And it's fun to say this because "I've got the power!" to make people guess who I have actually got lined up for Annabelle in the way of looovve.**

**Anyways, I hope that i'll break through the writers block soon. Thanks for all you guys that are reviewing, and like my story, I appreciate it very much. It puts a smile on my face when I read reviews, and makes me want to write all that much more! **


	14. Confrontation

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or its characters. I do however own Annabelle Locke.**

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**Chapter Fourteen**

"So turn to page. 83 in your textbooks, and I want all of you to take a good look at the desert climates for the year of 2007." Mrs. Lynne, the new exchange teacher from Scotland, said as she flipped open her own copy of the science textbook, and searched for the page she'd instructed us to go to. "Copy that down in your notebooks, and then compare it to the earlier climate and precipitation rates in the year 1992." She glanced at the golden watch on her wrist, and in her thick, heavy accent said, "And I'm sure that will wrap it up for today's lesson. Go on, get to it."

With a heavy sigh I flipped open my textbook and copied the print into a blue notebook Kohana had given me early that morning --with a few others for other classes. She was supplying me with almost everything these days, and it felt like sooner or later I'd be asking her to manage my oxygen intake as well. Solemnly I glanced down at the back of Kohana's dark head; she still wasn't talking to me, even though I'd promised to explain everything to her earlier this morning. I guess it was the fact that not only did I keep her in the dark all this time, but because I had ditched her to sit beside Zero --who hadn't even shown up.

After lunch and that miserable confrontation with Susan, the day had gone by so slow, that I was literally feeling the boredom ebb away at my insides. It was like I was slowly being eaten alive, but by a weight that, not only involved my hurt and my self destruction, but also included my lack of usual Anna-ness. Where was that flame that made me jump up and scream at people? Had that been taken with my sanity? What was I now: just a sad, lonely dull Anna impersonator?

The bell rung above my head before I had the chance to finish writing down our assignment, but instead of staying for a few extra minutes like a couple other students were doing, I tucked my books away and ran out of the room. Kohana's back couldn't retreat fast enough, and I ended up stopping her by a water fountain and a few giggling school girls. She turned to greet me with a stern, steely look, and I knew that she didn't want to speak with me right now, that I had hurt her too much to be forgiven.

But I couldn't leave our friendship burned, and even though I promised her that I would sort things out later tonight, I felt too guilty to at least not try and bandage it up before then. I took a long intake of breath, and met Kohana's glare head on.

"Look, I'm really sorry. I know you probably don't want to hear that right now, or that you don't care and you're too angry at me to think…but I just want you to know that I didn't mean to hurt, scare or frustrate you in the passed two weeks or so. And that it's just hard on me right now, and I'm trying to cope with a few things, and that I'm not used to getting all the attention that I am from you." Slowly, I began to feel the heat rise in my cheeks. Expressing ones self so publicly, to me anyway, was humiliating, and right then I no longer wanted to be there. I just wanted to melt into the floor. But I had to stay adamant, because if I didn't it would impact our friendship. Maybe not severely at this point in time, but sooner or later. "How do I put this properly? You were basically my first friend at this school. And I realize that I have had good friends in the past…but none of them were so openly affectionate and caring, and I guess I kind of got used to dealing with things on my own. I'm really sorry if I angered you."

A small breath escaped my friends lips, sounding small and less hurt, and she pulled the backpack higher up her arm before saying anything. "Annabelle, it's not that--"

"Annabelle, not skipping detention, are you?"

That elderly, masculine voice made me groan inside, and I turned to see Mr. Yamato pulling the door to the staffroom --which, to my luck, Kohana and I had stopped near-- closed. In his hand was half a sandwich, and in the other was a clipboard that looked like an empty attendance sheet.

Why did he have to come now, when Kohana and I were just getting to the juicy part of our conversation; when I was leaning in to hear an 'I forgive you', which I had hoped would flow from her mouth and give me some reassurance to this day. It seemed unfair, and I cursed his existence quietly in my head.

"No sir. I was just on my way," I muttered, hiding my glare by the sideways curve of my bangs.

"Right then. I'll escort you there myself, since we're headed to the same place." Mr. Yamato turned to Kohana and smiled. "See you tomorrow Kohana."

For a fleeting second my eyes met with the dark brunette's and I tried to express an apology through that slight communication. But it seemed like Kohana had given up again, and she sighed, heavily, and left quickly down the hall. I watched until I could no longer see her, and turned back to regard my teacher with hostility.

"Thanks. I appreciate that." I murmured venomously, once he had began to walk down to his classroom.

He grinned and took a bite from his sandwich, "It's all in a days work. All in a days work."

We reached his room in minutes, and I huffed and stalked in, slipping into my usual seat in the middle row, and plopped my bag down beside my feet. I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned back in my chair, eyeing him coolly. "And how long is this _detention_?" I hissed, picking at a strand of long black hair between my fingers.

Mr. Yamato finished up his sandwich before answering, and with a dull throb in my stomach, I realized that I hadn't eaten anything since yesterday, and that I was on the verge of a physical starvation streak. The knowledge of vampirism was not only effecting me emotionally, but physically too. I don't know how many times I thought about eating, but then was consciously side-tracked by another train of thought revolving around fangs and blood. I swallowed hard, trying not to give into the temptation as Mr. Yamato licked his thumb clean of, what I thought, was mustard.

"Until I think you've learned your lesson. Skipping out on class is punishable indeed, Ms. Locke." He answered, or more like recited, as if he had done this but a thousand times or more. "And while we're here and alone, I'd like to discuss your grade in this class as well. I'm sure you'd like to know."

No, I didn't want to know. I already knew I was failing, and that the chances of me saving myself from plummeting through the floorboards was un-accomplishable. "I've only been here a few weeks. Shouldn't you wait to hand out a report card or something?"

"Naturally yes," Mr. Yamato sat down at his desk, and looked at me directly. Under the gaze of the teacher, a figure of authority, I squirmed uncomfortably. "But, as regulation has told us time and time again, we teachers try our hardest to strap our students down and insist they improve their marks."

"Sounds like a no good cop." I commented bitterly, a tinge of humour underlining my tone.

He didn't smile, but instead popped open a silver cabinet tucked into the bottom of his desk, and after awhile withdrew a sheet of paper. "This is your last test," he explained, holding it out to me. I stayed where I was, sitting and looking annoyed, glaring at the paper and wishing it would suddenly be encompassed by red hot flames. Mr. Yamato brought his arm back and scanned over the contents, and I watched as his face dropped into a more serious crease. "You have but five answers on this test, two of which were wrong. And it was out of thirty questions. Do you understand where I'm getting at? If your academic level doesn't improve, then I'll be forced to fail you. Now I don't fail a lot of students --mostly because I don't like to. Do you think it satisfies me to hold back a young lady because she does not want to learn?"

"If I were in your shoes, and I were scolding you right now, I'd be happy to keep you back a year or two." I answered quietly. "And I never said I didn't want to learn! I just don't know how. There's a difference."

Mr. Yamato sighed and put the test back in the cabinet. And I was more then relieved to see it go; it was just another symbol of my failure, plastered in front of me like a huge blinking light. "Not when someone is being completely ignorant about the situation." He said, unnaturally calm. "Now, would you like to hear my options for this? Since you are already aware of your grades, then perhaps you've already thought of the same thing I have."

A tutor was what he was getting at. And yes, today I had thought of just that when I was in his class. But now the idea didn't seem as vibrant as it had been earlier, and silently I wanted to beat myself for even thinking about it. "A tutor." I stated unenthusiastically, bored almost. With a curse on my lips, I looked to the ceiling, noticing the ribbons of orange the light from outside was making. "You want me to get a tutor."

"Exactly." And then Mr. Yamato let out a small, unwelcoming laugh that made me want to throttle him. Why did he take my failure with such good fun? Was I the only one in turmoil on this planet? He must have caught my heated glare, for his fit dissolved, but his smile was still smugly growing on his lips. "Sorry. I just thought I'd have to explain to you what the options were. But you already know, good, good. So now the only thing we can do is find a tutor that will suit your needs, and that won't give you any problems."

And just on queue the door to the Math room opened, and a heavy pair of footsteps sounded off from behind me; fast at first, and then slowing, and finally stopping all together. I heard a shift in a chair, and a presence take its spot, but didn't look just yet. I was still glaring at Mr. Yamato, who now had his eyes on our visitor, and who, impishly, began to grin.

"Well, you just came at the right time!" He said, and I sensed a twinge of deviousness in his voice.

Slowly, slowly, I turned around in my chair, trying to glimpse at the newcomer that had just made Mr. Yamato break out in to a mischievous school boy. And I was shocked, relieved and annoyed at who I saw. His eyes, like purple gems, gleamed darkly beneath the abnormally pale skin, and his ravishing head of silver hair was distinguishable beyond hope. He was sitting in his usual spot, all the way at the top, probably avoiding coming so close to either of us.

Zero.

Yet another person on my list. I had ticked off Susan earlier this morning, and now it was only Zero, Kohana, and the Chairman who needed to hear me out, who needed to answer my questions --and who also needed to hear my explanations. His eyes only lingered on me for a second, casually bored, and then he was looking to the ceiling, his chin perched in his upraised hand.

"Zero, I'm glad you decided to actually attend detention today." Mr. Yamato said, looking from me to him and back again. "I was just telling Ms. Locke hear about how she needed to get some help for this class, in order to pull her mark up to about average. It was my idea that she --or well her idea, since you understood what I was getting at," He nodded to me once, and continued calmly, almost like he was enjoying himself on a certain wave of high, "that she needed a tutor."

Oh no. My back, which had been leaning sluggishly against the chair, suddenly straightened with tension, and my eyes became wide and distraught. Oh no, oh no.

"And since you have such a high mark in this class --which is strange since you are hardly ever here to begin with-- and because you and Annabelle seem to know each other, I thought I might make a little peace offering with the both of you."

More like a death wish, I cursed inside my head, watching the teachers lips move, wishing morbidly that they would seal shut and never move again.

But they continued unperturbed, "And the peace offering is this: Zero, you will tutor Anna until she improves, or else I start deducting your grade for every time you show up to my class late."

In that one instant, when those words were said, all the saliva in my mouth vanished, and I wished and wished that that was because I was dying, instead of just being in shock. My mouth fell open, and my already wide eyes grew, if possible, even larger. "You're kidding! What the hell kind of peace offering is that?"

"Are you even allowed to do such a thing?" Zero, with a tone as cold as steel, said from behind me. When I looked, my mouth still popped open like someone had just died in front of me, his eyes were as angry, as bitter and repulsed as his voice was, and although I didn't like the idea either, it hurt to know that I was that disgusting.

It also made me angry. And I turned, my hands balled tightly into fists by my sides, and glared at our teacher. But Mr. Yamato waved his hand, dismissing our hostile reactions, and chuckled from where he sat.

"I'm allowed to do whatever I want. I'm sure it won't be that bad, and it is a chance to get both of you to do well this semester."

"This is my first semester here," I pointed out. "I should be allowed to fail at least once."

"No, you shouldn't. And Zero already knows that I let him off the hook far too many times. Lately you haven't even been showing up for detentions. I don't know what it is with you prefects, but it is starting to get complicated trying to help my students with their learning when some of them aren't even here." Sighing, Mr. Yamato leaned back in his chair and straightened out the cuff of his dress shirt. "I know you might not get along at first. But come or take a few sessions and I bet you'll both be fine with each other. Zero, it will also help you--"

"I'm not doing this." I heard the hands strike the desk before I could see them, and I swivelled around yet again to see the silver haired prefect, brows drawn together and eyes piercing and venomous, standing and looking straight into the teacher's face. "As a prefect there are things I have to do. This stupid little idea of yours will get in the way of that. So I refuse."

"I'm not really giving you a choice in the matter, Zero. Either you both pull your act together, or face failure together. You decide."

"That's not fair!" I whined. I knew I needed a tutor, and bad, but the idea of having this rude, unbearable teenage boy being the one to teach me was ridiculous, absurd even. I didn't even know what Mr. Yamato was talking about: I didn't know Zero. I knew nothing about him. All I did know was that there was this resentful surge every time I saw him, and that even though he helped me the other night, looking at him now made me want to scream and lash out at someone.

"Life isn't fair." Mr. Yamato said in one of those I'm-the-boss-so-you'll-do-what-I-say tones. It made me cringe into my chair. I knew only too well that life wasn't a bowl of cherry candy, but instead a dark black hole that sucked the spirit right from you.

But that still gave him no right to openly decide who should teach me the basics of _Math_, a subject I truly wasn't fond of. And so I had to agree with Zero on this one. I stood up, slower then Zero had, and shook my head from side to side. "No. I refuse like he did."

"And like I said to him, there is no choice in the matter." Mr Yamato, more stern this time, cleared his throat and withdrew a pencil from a small compartment in his desk. He retrieved a piece of paper to the side of him, and began writing something down, ignoring the rebellion so thick and demanding in this room. "Think of it this way," He said after a moment of silence, after I had sunk back into my seat, "I am giving you both a chance to pull yourselves up. This isn't a class you can just walk over. Mathematics is apart of everyday life, therefore, you both need to improve."

We'd heard it all before. The reason why education was so strictly forced into us, the students. But that didn't matter --not now at least. What was going through my head was a mixture of agitation and relief. Instead of thinking of this group project as a failure, perhaps I should take this in as an opportunity. Both Zero and Yuuki knew about the vampires of Cross Academy, therefore they had answers whether they liked it or not. Answers that matched my questions. Plus --not having forgotten my earlier search for Zero this morning-- this would give me a chance to make sure he hadn't piped out anything to the Chairman about my renegade, self-destructive path last night.

Very slowly I let the rage that was building inside me flow out in a long, single breath. There was no point to this argument; the teacher had already made it clear that neither of us could worm our way out of this arrangement, even if we had to cut out our eyes and bleed to death. In surrender, I laid my hands out in front of me, and stared unseeingly at my knuckles. "Fine. I give up. You're right, no matter how much I hate saying that, I need a tutor. But when exactly do you plan to make these… _sessions_?"

As if hearing what he had wanted to --which made me angry because, if I thought about it long and hard, I had just given in to a form of authority, had damaged my pride yet again-- Mr. Yamato raised his head and smiled. And again, the urge to reach out and strangle him jolted through me. "This weekend. Every weekend. Saturday and Sunday, you both are to come here for about an hour."

My mouth, for the second time today, fell open. "_Every_ weekend? Saturday _and _Sunday? You have got to be kidding me. I'm not doing that! I thought you wanted us to, I don't know, do it during class or something." I leaned back and folded my arms across my chest. "We do have something called a life!"

In a clear, precise voice, the teacher said, "Not when it comes to Mathematics. Besides, it'll be fun. More school, how exciting."

Not more exciting, never more exciting. I abandoned my education when I was fourteen because I thought it was useless, and because it was no more fun then sitting down in front of a plant and watching it grow each and every day, for the next however many years of your life. School to me was like an empty pop bottle. It had a nice shiny complexion, but it lacked the kick and the fun, and without pop in a bottle, it's just an empty plastic, disposable piece of garbage.

A groan escaped my lips, and I leaned my head back and shut my eyes, hoping that, somehow, time would reverse itself, and that I could have actually made an effort in my work --however sour that sounded to my ears-- so that this, plan of Mr. Yamato's, would never have come to be.

And I wasn't the only one who thought that, either.

I was aware of the screeching, steel sound against the floor before I was aware and able to see Zero standing up and shoving his fists into his black pants. His chair was almost tipping to the point of falling over, and I waited for the impact, but the breeze he created as he walked around it made it fall back into place with a soft thud.

"And where are you going, Zero? Your detention period isn't over yet." Mr. Yamato's voice, hard and full of authority, stated. He glanced at the large, circular clock pinned up on the farthest wall near the door, and his mouth thinned to a little line. "You both have thirty minutes left."

"I'm not doing this." Zero stopped at the exit to the room, and his eyes, like liquid fire, landed on the teacher. His jaw was tensed, and from what I could comprehend from the way his voice sounded, Zero meant every last word to the syllable.

He didn't want to teach me. Not after last night. Who would ever want to teach _me_? _I_ wouldn't even want to be my own tutor. My lack of understanding and talent for anything would drive someone halfway up the wall of crazy.

But I had to admit, he didn't have to say it like _that_. The venom that leaked out with his tone just reminded me of the time when the Night Class had all stopped, when I had first arrived at the school, and had looked at me with both eyes of disgust and wonder --like I was an animal in a zoo exhibit. He may as well shoot me where I sit for all the attitude he was exhibiting.

But Mr. Yamato merely shook his head and returned to the work lain out in front of him, scribbling little ink marks onto the white paper. "Think about it Zero." Was all that he said.

I didn't think the silver-haired prefect heard that though, he was already out the door; and I listened as his foot-steps dimmed and then went quiet. When I turned back, the teacher was staring at me, and to my surprise, it was an expectant look. Almost like he was waiting for something. But after a few minutes of silent eye-contact, he sighed and dropped his pen.

"You look like you need something," He said softly.

"Yes," I admitted. "I need to talk with the skipper that just left." And just to benefit me --if this was a sign that Mr. Yamato was actually letting up on the fact that I could cut detention early-- I added, "It's important."

"How important?"

"Very. Extremely." I hesitated, then shrugged. "I could also try to reel him into that fact that I _do_ need a tutor." The words were almost burning in my throat, and it took quite an effort to get them under control again. I just needed to know if Zero had blabbed to the Chairman, and that if and when I went to see the big liar I wouldn't be bombarded with concerns that would be completely unnecessary.

Because I knew what I did yesterday was wrong. So very, very wrong. I even had the little left over headaches from this morning to prove it. And I knew that I wouldn't do it again. I just didn't need to explain all this to the Chairman, when he had been certain that I would take this world-wide secret calmly.

Not calmly --acceptingly.

Mr. Yamato, almost as if it pained him, sighed and looked down at his paper. "Then go." He said, almost too tranquil.

Startled, I leaned back. "Go?"

"Yes, that's what I said. It's your first detention, so I may as well let you off with just a warning." He straightened up and smiled. "Don't skip class." Then, with a long, mellow breath, he shrunk back down until he was slightly hunched over his desk. "Now off with you. I may have just forced you into an idea that you disapprove of, but I think I can let this one small skip pass. Just remember what I said: you both be here Saturday _and_ Sunday, otherwise you'll both regret it. Make sure Zero is aware of that."

Even though what he basically just said was a threat, I couldn't be mad enough to voice it. He had just given me his permission to high-tale it out of here, and catch up to one of the people on my list. How could I not be distracted?

While gathering up my bag, I thought of just exactly what I was going to say to the prefect. I could simply demand like I usually did, and get the answer that way, or I could ask politely and --no, definitely not politely. But I couldn't be as hostile as I would want to be. Because he had, through his ungracious method, taken me back safely to my dorm yesterday --not to mention dropped off my bag this morning before I had awoken through my one hour hazed sleep. Plus he was to be my tutor. So that meant what? Try to be nice?

As I was making my way out the door, the teacher cleared his throat and waved his hand in front of him to catch my attention. He smiled when I turned back to see what he wanted. "I hope you can both forgive me, sooner or later. And I forgot to tell you the times."

"Saturday and Sunday, I understand." I nodded and took another step towards the exit.

But he stopped me again with his voice. "No, no. Those are the days. Be here around ten in the morning, and depending on the progress, we'll see how long I should keep you for."

Right. I couldn't complain; at least he didn't have us waking up at six in the morning. Now _that_ would have earned him a death wish.

I hurried out of the room before I could be stopped again. Thankfully I knew exactly where Zero was headed, and so it took no extra time off my hands to go hunting him down in this building.

A prefect was a prefect, and it was just a little later then when the Night Class would be leaving their own dorms. Poor Yuuki was probably dishing out all the fan girls by herself, and Zero, here, was probably heading out to help her. So by the time my legs had begun to cramp up with ache from running, I found Zero's back sauntering through the hallways, headed in the direction of the main door.

"Zero, wait!" I huffed, accelerating forward until I was breathless and panting, stopping only when Zero did.

He turned to me with an incredulous eye, and at first I thought he wasn't going to say anything and start walking again, completely and utterly shutting me out, but after the amount of time it took me to stop my ragged breathing, his mouth was thinned and his jaw tight.

"What do you want?" He asked coolly, hands still tucked in his pockets.

His tone made me want to reply with a snide remark, for the anger was back, stinging me, but instead I took in a deep breath and forced a smile. "You need to tell me what you did yesterday night, after you brought me back from…you know."

There was a small, awkward pause, and then he snorted and started walking again. "I don't have to tell you anything." He said, firmly and with a harsh bitterness.

I had to jog to keep up with his long strides. "Of course you have to tell me. I was included in the night charades, you know. And if you don't remember --because I certainly remember, even though I was so far gone I was beginning to see stars-- I told you not to tell anyone, so that means, yes, I want to know if you blabbed your mouth off."

For long, long minute all I could hear was our footsteps: his masculine and timed, mine faster and lighter. I watched as he inhaled deeply, his nose slightly flaring, and I watched as he closed his eyes and released the air he'd just shoved down into his lungs.

"No." He said, bored again. "I didn't tell the Chairman. But if you keep bugging me," He added after, what I felt, was a sigh of relief escape me, "then maybe I will."

I registered the threat feebly, too content with the fact that I wouldn't have to put up with the Chairman's concern and worry for a stupid mistake. It also made me confused in some way as well, because Zero didn't seem the type of male to keep a person's order --or was I pleading last night? Especially if it was from someone who, I knew, couldn't tolerate me in the least.

"Yeah, sure," I dismissed his comment with a flick of my wrist. "That's good. I appreciate it."

I didn't know if a thank-you was in order, so I kept my lips firmly mashed together in the next few seconds that passed, keeping stride with him. To be honest, I hadn't expected him to answer me so fully, without some more sarcastic remarks. I barely knew the guy, but from what I had witnessed, I knew he was the type to hate on you whether he knew you himself or not. Since he answered me that way instead of the way I thought he would have, it left a big gapping whole in our conversation, and in the end I was tagging along silently, like some lost puppy.

And eventually his pale, violet eyes landed on my face, and the steel look from before came back as hard as stone. "Why are you still here? I gave you your answer. Go away already." He said, less vicious, but still just as cold.

The usual heat flared up inside my belly at his words, taunting me to snap. It was a strange low now, because I hadn't broken out on anyone since the confrontation with the vampire. Kira, this morning, had scraped at my nerves, but even then I had managed to clamp down on my self control, and preserve those angry feeling for another time, another place.

Was I bottling up my emotions?

And was this self-induced?

Did I bring all the anger in on itself purposefully, or was this an unconscious act, one that was brought about when I had clearly been shattered about the 'secret of the Vampire world'. I frowned, unable to think clearly with these questions in my head. My answer to Zero was less then comprehendible, but it consisted of a few 'sures'.

I still stuck with him, all the way until we got to the bottom of the stairs and clapped our heels onto the first floor. And by that time he was no longer looking at me, but straight in front of us, as if he had somehow built up a wall in order to ignore my presence.

Then I remembered what else I had wanted--or what Mr. Yamato had wanted-- from allowing me to skip detention, and I cleared my throat in order to break down that wall he had constructed. His stride had not let up a single bit, and so my voice was slightly distorted as I kept up with him, cursing his damn long legs for being so god damn longer then my own.

"Right. I almost forgot." I said, casting my eyes to a passing, brown framed painting of a cottage by the sea. "Tutor-business."

He snorted, or half groaned. But it was a throaty, venomous sound that made me want to smack him one. When I looked back at him, his eyes were closed, his jaw tensed, and I knew that he didn't want anything to do with what Mr. Yamato proposed more then I did. But I needed a tutor, and Zero had to stop skipping class, or else both of use would fail miserably.

Once again, I had to be the bigger person of the situation, overcome the part of me that wanted to agree with Zero and simply cast my education aside like I had before. But for some reason, although I had only really been here for about three weeks, nearly a month, it seemed like a much bigger deal then I would have perceived it back home. And I sighed, because somewhere amongst all this wreckage I was truly losing myself.

"Okay okay," I raised my hands up defencelessly. "I understand that you don't want to do it. Yeah, well, neither do I. But as much as I'd, erm, rather not have you as my tutor," --was that a glare he just gave me?-- "I have to admit that I'm really sucking in my class. And it takes a lot out of me to say I suck at something, so you better be proud."

But he didn't look proud. Instead it looked like he was mentally conceiving a way to throttle me.

In a voice like acid, he answered, "I have other things to do with my time."

"Yeah, prefect, I know. But what the hell do you two do during the weekends?" At a certain thought that crossed my mind, I smiled. "Do you guys go vampire hunting or something?"

Zero froze mid-step and cast me a fleeting gaze, one I may have not seen if I wasn't frozen as well, like I'd just flashed a chunk of meat in front of a wild animal. But Zero was walking again before I could blink, and before I could successfully catch up to him, confused and stunned at the weird behaviour, he was loosening his tie and speaking.

"What's with all these questions?" He said coldly, guarded; perhaps even a little startled that I knew the secret as much as they did --which even still stunned me.

"I didn't recall that being a lot," I said through my teeth, aware that perhaps I had struck a nerve of some kind. But I didn't wish to pry right now --although the temptation was there-- what with all these other things on my mind. I still had to get over the fact that yes, vampires were as alive as either one of the students outside right now. "But that's besides the point. What the whole point of this conversation is --because I know you can't wait to get rid of me --and don't lie about it because I can see it in your eyes-- is that I need a tutor and Mr. Yamato has given you that job." I took in a deep breath, feeling like my airways would constrict. It was unfair to think that this was the only means of beholding a live person to withstand my lack of understanding towards anything educational.

Zero grunted, but said nothing.

So I continued, unperturbed, trying to make him see the benefits of tutoring me --which was very little if you thought about it long and hard. And I continued speaking until he glared razor edged daggers into my eyes, but by that time I had exhausted up my own efforts. I wasn't about to fall to my knees and beg. I wasn't _that_ motivated.

Finally I succumbed with one more sentence. In a bored voice, I said, "Just tutor me, Dammit."

As assumed however, he didn't say anything. It was as if he'd just tuned me out completely, and grudgingly I ground my teeth together and looked straight ahead. At the end of this particular hall was the main door that opened up to the outside campus, and I was more then happy to see it. I was exhausted, starving, and needed a good dose of Advil to drown out these continuing pangs of pain throughout my body. Hangovers weren't fun, and I had learned that the hard way.

With a deep intake of breath, I turned to glare at him. But now his eyes were focused on the door, his jaw tensed. I opened my mouth to voice a complaint, but he cut me off before the words could successfully start flowing.

"Meet me here Saturday morning," He said, the usual bitterness never completely leaving his tone. Those cold eyes snapped back to mine, for less then an actual second, and he grunted. "And if your late then that's your own problem. I'm not going to be waiting around if you can't get your ass out of bed."

"You're one to talk," I complained. A certain relief had pooled into my system, and now I could successfully breathe properly again. There was no doubt in my mind that these sessions were going to be far worse the hell, but at least I could rest easy knowing now that I actually had a chance of passing something in my life. Although, that still didn't give Zero the right to talk down to everyone --even though I was guilty of doing exactly that from time to time. "Skipper."

But he didn't look back at me like I thought he would have done, what I would have wanted him to have done. It was more like after he gave into being my tutor, he'd reconstructed the wall more efficiently, thicker this time. I wanted to punch him in the arm for all the attention I was getting, but decided not to when I heard a faint quiver from up ahead.

The front doors shook slightly, catching my attention, and slowly they began to open. Orange light cast rivers of color against the marble floor, and shadows began to sprout up behind it. I received a faint gust of clean, wistful air from outside, along with something much more sweet, much more desirable. Zero slowed his pace to the point where he slightly lagged behind me, and noticing his faltering movements, I stopped altogether.

It was hard not to know what was coming next. I knew that smell all too well to be completely oblivious to it. And I felt my heart begin its frantic, fluttery beating at the thought of _them_. I hadn't seen one since I'd figured out their secret, and now that the time had come to jump into that knowledge again, like jumping into a bath of ice cold water, I didn't know what to do.

I could feel my limbs lock up, almost like that of a frightened deer. I could hear the sound my heart was making as it pounded painfully against my ribs, and I could feel the deep breaths that I heaved into my lungs.

This wasn't a normal reaction from me.

Whenever I had faced the police before I had stood tall, confident and brave. I had made sure that my nervousness at getting caught didn't overwhelm my judgement. But this… this was all too different.

Because they _weren't_ human.

And again, just imagining that vampire back in the library, made my blood run cold.

Eventually the doors were open far enough so that I could see the faint outlines of their bodies as they gradually advanced forward and into the building. Desperate, I looked around, but couldn't find any other way to escape fast enough. I was stuck.

But Zero's face was calm, if not a little angry and disgusted. He didn't seem to be facing the same fearful instincts as I was, which he should have been doing, but instead looked as if he knew just exactly what was to be expected.

And then I almost hit myself. Zero and Yuuki had clearly known about this secret longer then I had, so their reactions to this whole bizarre twist was completely different to what I was feeling. It almost made me feel insignificant. The great Annabelle trembles beneath the paranormal --that wasn't a reputation I was willing to behold.

Slowly, slowly, I tried to breathe out all the tension, all the adrenaline pumping through me like a drug. I was hesitant with where my eyes moved, because I knew that as soon as I looked away from Zero's straight posture, I would be confronted with _them_.

The vampires.

But it was inevitable. I cast my eyes up furtively once I began to hear the soft clicks and clacks of polished shoes against the floor. And my vision was clouded with them.

Their pale skin, their perfect hair, their perfect eyes, jaws, lips. It was like stepping into a magazine, however now that magazine had turned from _Hottest People on the Planet _to_ Hottest Vampires on the Planet_. It was hard not to feel the usual human kicks you received when seeing someone that was completely and utterly attractive, and it was only because I knew what they really were that I was able to stop myself from examining them all more clearly --more humanly.

I tried to tell myself over and over again that I was safe, that I had Zero by my side and he wouldn't let one of them harm me. But that only began to send pricks and needles down my arms instead of comfort.

Because I was looking to someone else for help. Instead of relying on my own bravery, I was suddenly succumbing to fear. I shouldn't be doing that, I told myself wearily. I should be tough, adamant. I shouldn't care about anything. I shouldn't want to run. I should want to stay, to abuse. Why was I suddenly so frightened?

I didn't want to be scared.

I recognized the ones that I had talked to first. The two blondes, the orange haired male, and Kaname.

I wanted to mentally shoot myself for being so stupid. Now that I knew their secret, it was impossible to think otherwise. To even consider them human at first was the dumbest mistake of anyone's life, and I wondered how any of the humans in this school could think that they were people just like them. Their aura and smell was something completely in itself.

Standing all the way back here and being able to taste their sweetness on your tongue wasn't a human trait at all.

It was as if all my doubt had just evaporated. These were vampires. Not humans, never humans. They were vampires to the very core of their existence, and just by looking at them you could see it, _sense_ it.

I swallowed hard, aware that my palms were suddenly very wet.

Their eyes were on nothing but us as they slowed and then stopped. A few Night Class students --no, _vampires_-- parted from the group that I was used to seeing, and disappeared into other halls. Zero made a sound in the back of his throat, almost like a disgusted sound, and I could see his hands, which were still in his pockets, ball from the corner of my eyes.

The atmosphere was so tense that I could feel it constrict my breathing. And again, the thought of jolting like a scared animal popped right into my head. If I ran fast enough, maybe I'd make it out alive before any of them caught me.

"Zero," That familiar, rich voice broke the silence. My head snapped up automatically, despite the name not belonging to me, and I watched Kaname's eyes move from me to the more tolerant prefect. At least the weight of those eyes were gone, but as I looked around, perhaps a little --and grudgingly-- shyly, I caught turquoise eyes and held them. Aidou smiled. "What are you still doing here, at a time like this? You left Yuuki alone outside." Kaname continued, calmly, casually.

"I know that, Kuran-senpai." Zero answered, and I almost winced at the harshness his voice bled.

It only sent about another million questions sizzling like frying eggs in my head as I watched the lack of respect pass through the prefect and the vampire.

But when it was my turn to be addressed, and I knew it was coming because I could feel the eyes closing in on me like I was physically becoming a target, I tried my best to compose myself like Zero was doing. I couldn't show them that I was scared of them. That would be like stabbing a knife through my pride.

"Annabelle-chan," A boyish, honey drenched voice murmured off to the side, pulling my gaze back on to the spiky blonde male. It had been so surreal that night when he had taken me hostage with the orange-haired vampire, and had crushed Kohana's camera like it had been jelly in his hands. I remembered him leaning in to smell me, almost coming so close that I could feel the tip of his nose against my neck. What I didn't know then was that he would have sunken his teeth into my skin and eaten me if Yuuki hadn't come at exactly the right time. A hard chill sprinted up my spine, keeping me locked in place while my heart fluttered like panicked bees in their hive. "Your heart is beating so fast." A dark shadow clouded his eyes, and he smiled. "Are you scared?"

Of course I was scared. It was hard to admit it, and I didn't want to admit it, but I had felt the fear and the adrenaline. No amount of words could deny those feelings. With a deep breath I composed myself to answer him, because although he may have the power --if those vampire legends were real-- to rip my head off, there was no way I was going to give any of them the satisfaction of watching me tremble. No human had seen me at my weakest, and no otherworldly creature was going to either.

"What did--"

"Aidou." Kaname's chocolaty voice cut straight through my words, and I automatically snapped my mouth closed. "Don't be rude."

"Ah, sorry Kaname-sama." Aidou, as if someone had sucked the threat and the amusement from his body in an instant, looked to the ground, almost like he was ashamed. The orange male let out a soft sigh by his side.

In a way I was glad Kaname impeded on the beginnings of my rant, because in all honesty I had no idea what I was about to say. But I also had a very strong urge to insult them as much as I possibly could, because the truth of the matter was that I felt so very small and fragile in their eyes, and that made me far more self-conscious then ever before.

In that instant I decided that it was about time Zero and I got our butts out of Cross Academy, which was now being handed over to the vampires. I reached for the prefects sleeve, and tugged on it with more force then needed. As his eyes snapped onto mine, I gestured with one thumb towards the doors.

"Yeah, so uhm, better get going." I suggested quickly, almost frantically. I tried to hide the quiver in my voice as best as possible. "You know, outside, where the light is."

I tugged, but I could have been trying to pull a giant truck with a single piece of string with all the luck I accomplished. Zero wouldn't move, and eventually he yanked his arm back, startling me. But at that point I was too full of thoughts and adrenaline to care, and I straightened my back and looked to the front doors. When I looked over my shoulder to regard Zero quizzically, he was no longer staring at me, but locked in a fierce battle with Kaname. His eyes were like arrow heads, but the tall vampire was just calmly measuring him with his own. The air was too tense, too suffocating similar to that night, which seemed like ages ago, when I was faced with Gerald at the library.

It was too much to handle.

I needed to go, and fast.

"Fine," I huffed, practically breathless, "Fine Zero, you stay, I'll go. See you Saturday."

And then there was nothing more to think about other then the advancement of my life. I was going to cut through the group of blood-suckers alone, without a guard of some sort. But I could do it, right? Because I was Annabelle. I had stood up to police back in my neighbourhood. I had physically injured someone. And I could merely walk through this and get to the other side, unscathed. All I had to do was show no fear.

As I took a few cautious steps forward, I wondered if vampires were like dogs. If they could smell your fear and get all crazy, scenting at the victimized, cowering prey in front of them. It only made getting passed them that much more agonizing, and I cursed myself inwardly to just shut up.

I cut through the part where the vampires were not as close together, which left me a small, but still efficiently satisfying path, so that I neither had to speak or touch one. I didn't want to glance up in case I met one of their eyes, and I didn't want to look back in case Zero was already being preyed upon. I felt absolutely stupid.

For a moment I wondered if this is how Susan felt. Whenever she walked around, her eyes were always cast to the floor, as if raising her head would set off an alarm and cause her trouble. Right now I felt that if I raised my head, my life would be snatched away from me faster then I would be able to scream.

I was being a complete and total idiot, and I knew that, because I had been told that these were docile vampires. But just the fact that they _were_ vampires, in a world I thought was populated by humans only, was as much fuel as the fire needed.

I was almost completely through them when a hand came to rest on my shoulder. If it could have been beating any faster, my heart would have gone flying through my chest. Instead it stuttered painfully to a stop, then restarted as I whirled around, eyes wide, readying my lips to open and cry out.

But a soothing voice muttered, "Calm down, calm down! I won't hurt you."

It was the other blonde, the one that had taken care of Gerald, Ichijou. His hair was straighter, his eyes an impossible shade of emerald green. His lips were turned up at the corners: a smile, and his face wasn't as dark and gloomy as the rest of the students. There was a certain brightness about him that made me ask myself if he really was a vampire, or if he was just tagging along because he was a vampire wannabe. But the intense beauty that radiated off him as well, overwhelming my senses and knocking them off their gears, was nothing that a normal human had the ability of doing.

"What?" I said, not at all surprised that my voice sounded hoarse and broken. It seemed easier under his gaze to speak, but still just as hard as the knowledge kept washing over me, breaking me into a thousand different pieces.

They were all vampires!

I wondered if I'd ever get over that fact.

He dropped his hand from my shoulder; it was cold where it had been touched. "I was wondering how you were doing. And if your friend was doing alright as well." He said, still smiling.

I didn't know whether he understood what vampirism meant. What his existence meant to those human-beings that were completely oblivious to it. How could you even ask that question, when my heart was coming so close to just exploding inside my chest?

"Susan's fine." I breathed, skipping over how I felt. "She's just a little… well… yeah."

I frowned, and my eyebrows pulled together in a low line. The weight of Susan's memory loss was far too strong earlier in the day to deal with, and this wasn't the time for it either. But something about it made me angry, and something about them made me angry as well. She had forgotten for a reason, but I no longer thought of it a human reason.

What I did remember was a purple light blooming from Ichijou's fingertips, and then Susan going limp. When she awoke in her friends room, like she said, she didn't know anything about that night.

I suddenly realized why.

"It was you…" I whispered, mostly to myself, unable to believe, but unable to think otherwise. "You did it."

"It was necessary. I'm sorry." There was no need to explain, he already knew full well what I was getting at. His voice was sincere, apologetic and soft, like silk.

All the hurt and fear of losing Susan was because of these things, these vampires. They had tampered with her memory, and they would have come close to doing it with me if I hadn't become hysterical and rocketed my way to safety.

With eyes as wide as saucers, I looked towards Kaname. But his back was to me, and he was walking slowly towards Zero.

I hadn't thought of that night when he'd captured my face in his hands, and it was probably because I was too afraid to wonder what he had been doing. But that purple light, so similar to what had sparked around Susan, had been their power. My memory would have been gone too, out like a light before I could call it back.

"You…" I sucked in a breath. "You were going to…"

Slowly, Kaname stopped, and those eyes turned to regard me calmly.

Ichijou, as if to break the sudden tense and nervous atmosphere that befell me, waved his hands from side to side, laughing slightly. "It was only a precaution, Annabelle. We have to keep our existence secret. We did what we thought was right, please understand."

"No." I snarled, startling not only Ichijou and the rest of the vampires, but myself as well. "No, I won't understand. You _erased_ her memory! I tried to talk to her, but she didn't remember any of it!"

Aidou, who had been impassive for some time, came to life and gasped. "What did you say?"

"I said she didn't remember anything," I hissed through my teeth. Everything inside of me was alive and burning, like I had shoved down all earlier emotions, and now was only feeling the flaring white hot heat of my inner fire. The fire I had been keeping down for so long. My fingers flexed at my sides.

"That's not what he was talking about," Ichijou informed me, shifting so that he could try and catch my eye. When I didn't look at him, he sighed and touched my arm. I flinched from the cold contact. "Does Susan know again?"

"No." I answered after a slow, agonizing moment. I wished beyond hope that she would remember, but somehow I knew that that wish would never be fulfilled. "I'm not stupid. I wouldn't tell her."

A slight shift in the atmosphere, and the vampires relaxed slightly. I could even see Zero, from the edge of my eyes, relax the tiniest of bits.

"But that still gives you no right!" I shouted. "You don't just go around erasing everyone's memories!"

This time Kaname turned fully around, those deep set eyes seeing straight forth and into mine, like they were settling in my soul. "We do what is right for our survival." He said in that rich tone that sent chills through your skin.

"Do you really think a little girl is going to kill you?" The fire in my stomach grew, and soon the heat was reaching up into my face. "You're vampires for Christ sake, you could just--"

"Kill her?" He questioned smoothly. "Would it have been better if we killed her?"

"No! That's not what I was…" but what was I trying to say? He was right, they could have killed her with the knowledge she knew, and then that would immediately mean my death as well. I swallowed hard, flipping through my thoughts. He'd cracked my anger in two, and suddenly I was like a drying fish on land. I was suffocating.

"Kuran-senpai." Zero growled.

"We erased her memory because it is dangerous for others to know." Kaname explained. "It is better this way. I'm sorry that you had to watch that."

"But you were going to erase my memory, weren't you?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

"Yes."

It was hard to swallow, but I managed. I looked down at my hands, trembling away at my sides. And I didn't know if it was from anger, or from fear.

Did that mean that they had more power over us then just the simply characteristics of a vampire? If they could screw up a human's mind by their looks, not to mention by a power that no one else had, then it was true. Human's were mere victims, and up against them, helpless ones.

"Kuran-senpai, you'll be late for class." Zero said after awhile, breaking like a spear of ice through my thoughts. I looked up, and watched as the Night students heaved a breath together, and began to depart.

"You're right, Kiryuu." Kaname turned from me, and continued his path forward, passing Zero.

But I was still filled with anger, with hope. If they could take Susan's memory away, they could bring it back, right? For some reason I couldn't accept that she was not allowed to know, and that I was, for whatever cause. If I was allowed to breathe in the air of vampires, Susan --no, _everyone_-- had the right to know.

Before I knew it, before anyone could stop me or realize what I was doing, my feet were taking me forward and my fingers were grabbing viciously at Kaname's sleeve, stopping him in mid-step. The whole room seemed to go from hot to dense and cold, as if someone had just sucked the heat away from everything. There was a stifled gasp from somewhere behind me, but that didn't matter. What mattered now was that I force them to bring Susan's memory back. Vampires or no vampires, they were going to do what I said.

Kaname's head revolved slowly, but not completely. He looked at me from one eye, his head tilted slightly over his shoulder so that I saw his perfect, sculpted profile. He didn't look angry, but the eyes in themselves were enough to make anyone go speechless.

"You are going to bring her memory back." I commanded, not sure why my voice was so quiet, so less demanding then I would have wanted. "You are going to do it now."

I felt, rather then saw, the vampires act. One second my fingers were tight, crushing the white fabric of his sleeve against my palm, and the next it was being slapped away with such force that it swung me partially around. I opened my lips to make a sound, but nothing but a wisp of air came out.

It really was cold in this room.

There was a sting in right arm that I ignored at first, too bewildered by the movements that had just occurred to care, but once the sting became numbing I chanced a glance and froze in place. Or rather, I _was_ frozen in place. Ice had weeded its way from behind me, and clumps of it were clutching at my feet, consuming them, and stopping right above my ankles. When I tried to squirm, I almost fell over, but then remembered the other pain --the one in my fingers.

Before me was no longer Kaname alone, but the beautiful silver brunette was now in front of him, her lips pulled back over her teeth, so that her face was slightly distorted by her fierce look.

"Don't you ever touch Kaname-sama like that!" She snarled.

"No human should command anything of our dorm leader!" I heard Aidou say from behind me, too close to be comforted in the fact that he was all the way back in the group. I heard a familiar click, and realized Zero was no longer where he used to be, but instead, with his gun withdrawn, pointing it straight at the back of Aidou's head, behind the blonde that was now almost straight behind me. Everyone else was tensed, having not taken nearly as much action as these particular two.

I realized, after my lungs began to ache, that I had forgotten to breathe. I took a deep, painful gulp of air, and glared hotly at the woman. "I'll touch who ever I want, however I want!" I barely screamed. There was no time to think, to act. I couldn't even be worried that a vampire had frozen my feet --though I knew the time would come shortly when I went into another mental breakdown-- to contain my anger any longer. It was flaring, raising its ugly head, and it was bearing its teeth much in the same way this female vampire was. "You try acting like a fool in front of someone who knows nothing of what happened to herself in that library. You try telling me what the hell gives you the right to erase other people's memories! Why, because you're vampires? Because you drink peoples blood? That gives you a good enough reason to toy around with other people's lives?"

I felt fingers encase my upper right arm, but barely felt the tug as Aidou partially turned me. "How dare you--"

"Don't even try it, vampire." Zero's venomous tone interrupted me for merely a second, and then I heard the faint click as he pulled back the safety.

"I won't let you speak to Kaname-sama like that, human!" The woman repeated, bearing her teeth again.

"What are you going to do?" I countered, feeling my fingers tingle, feeling the urge --like I had that night with Kira-- to punch something, _someone_. "_Bite_ me?"

_This_ was the Annabelle I knew._ This_ was the Annabelle that I was. It felt good to have her back, to feel the rage instead of the fear. I could drown in this reunion.

"Ruka, Aidou, enough." Kaname's voice was no longer calm; there was an edge that even made me, in this out of control state, quiver. It was like the Alpha male of a wolf pack giving commands to its followers, and they had to obey whether they liked it or not.

The woman, Ruka, her face fell, and she turned to Kaname with an apologetic expression about her. The orange haired male was quickly at her side, stern and taking a few steps back with her. The fingers left my arm almost just as soon, leaving a numbing tingle in their place, and before I could blink, the ice that coated my feet were no longer glistening, but merely small dark puddles of water beneath my heels.

As soon as the situation had dissolved with his command, I was aware of the physical strain on my body. How I wanted to just fall down and curl up, and sleep away what had just happened. My eyes moved from Ruka to Aidou, to Kaname, whose deep set spheres were locked onto my face. I wondered if he could see the dilation of my pupils as clearly as if he were standing only inches from my face, because the way he looked, measured and examined, it was almost like he could see better then that.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot do that." He said. The edge was gone, replaced with that calming, soothing sound of velvet. I realized he was talking about my command. "It is in her best interest to forget. Aidou," those eyes finally swayed away from me, and it felt like the whole world had been held upright because of that look. Now that it was gone, I felt weak. "We will talk later about your punishment." He was gone before I could come to terms with the fact that he had just rejected my demand.

The rest of the vampires, grudgingly, sauntered after him. I heard the red-head, Shiki, whisper to the blonde female that this was 'troublesome', and I heard Aidou hiss and curse, grumbling something about that not being fair. And when they were all completely gone, I blinked and looked away from the ground.

Zero was standing in front of the door, putting the gun away. His eyes were intent on my face, observing, but betraying no other emotion other then a blatant bitterness. I sighed once the air had cooled and returned to normal, and, with my feet like thick lead, I walked over to Zero's side, never once able to bring my eyes up from the floor.

What had I done?

Those were vampires I had just angered. They weren't police, or a few popular blondes, they were vampires. The things that held greater strength then anyone could imagine, the things that killed humans like we killed animals. It was like a bunny taunting a wolf. I swallowed hard, unable to comprehend the ice, the way it felt --like a strange coolness-- wrapped around my feet. More questions only blossomed in my head, but I never knew if I'd ever quite get an answer for them. Not if I acted like this around the creatures of the paranormal.

"Would this be the right time to say sorry?" I muttered beneath my breath. Because I was sorry. For putting Zero through that, and for putting him through last night. I was sorry for putting my body through the stress: emotional and physical. I was sorry that I couldn't have been the one to have her memories erased. "I really think I screwed up there."

Zero's eyes were back to normal, no longer intense, no longer violent. I was surprised when his voice mimicked the calm in his eyes. "There is nothing to be sorry about when it comes to vampires."

He was right. I wasn't sorry for them, I was sorry for _me_.

* * *

**Oh gawd, have any of you seen the trailer for season two? It looks awsome. I can't wait until October! It feels too far away! I just know that once I watch the episodes again, i'll want to write more. My inspiration! **

**So as promised, I will not give up on this story. Never! Until it is complete! That is meh goal! I'm still not sure on the chapter count. I was originally going for twenty-five to thirty chapters, but the end I have made up may take five chapters in itself. Plus, I want to add a bit of fluff here and there. And we need the romance, of course. **

**Don't lose faith in me! This story won't vanish!**


	15. Tutor

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or its characters. I do however own Annabelle Locke.**

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**Chapter Fifteen.**

By the time I reached my dorm, the sky was dark and most of the lights in the hallways had been turned off. I stumbled my way up the stairs, finding my limbs feeble and painfully falling asleep, and I cursed myself quietly in my head.

Previously, when I'd first gotten out of the school, panting and my heart aching in my chest, I had taken the opportunity to indulge myself in a cigarette, while Zero watched for merely a second, disgusted, before leaving me to my own devices. After that I didn't want to think about being in the presence of the vampires, and hurriedly decided that I was not going to sit waiting for one to eat me. I couldn't quite remember if I ran, jogged, or power-walked, but by the time I had come to the Sun Dorm's doors, I was breathing as fast as I had when facing the vampires head on.

It was a ridiculous reaction, I summed up after the quiet thought. To run like deer in the face of an enemy. I had become this frightened little girl --someone who I didn't want to be-- and I had wished I were dead. Also, it amused me to the fact that I was considering the blood-suckers enemies. I had seen Zero's reaction back there: a look of disdain so powerful that I felt it wringing and twisting in my body. There must be a reason why he hated them so much, a reason that I knew wasn't exactly forgivable.

As I ascended the stairs I thought vaguely of what my life had become. It was still so surreal, so out of place with what my life _had_ been. Although I hated the idea that yes, these things were existing and did drink human blood, I didn't know if I would ever be able to go back to just _not knowing_. With this secret revealed came new possibilities, new things to learn. I didn't know if I was willing to go deeper into this or stay, barely touching the surface, but I knew I wouldn't be able to forget. To be honest, I didn't think I _wanted_ to forget.

My fingers brushed against the hardwood of my door. I was almost positive Kohana would be asleep --she usually went to bed early on week days. A part of me wished that she was tucked beneath her comforter, because I didn't want to explain to her anything. I knew I wasn't going to tell her the truth, but I hadn't been given enough time to mentally prepare myself for the lie. I barely knew what I was going to tell her. I didn't think another guilt trip would keep me standing. I felt as exhausted physically as I was mentally, and although I knew the weight and pressure would be on sooner or later, I didn't want to have to deal with it _now_.

Hesitantly, I turned the knob and, with resistance, stepped into the room. I was all but aware of the familiar presence --one that wasn't asleep at all, but strangely angled upright on her bed. Before I could mentally sigh and ready myself for the emotional strain I was about to receive, I noticed that Kohana was standing on her bed, instead of lying down or sitting waiting for me, and there was a rolled up piece of paper in her right hand, straining on an abnormal tilt. At first I thought she was playing a round of invisible baseball, but then I noticed the wild, fearful glint in her eyes, and curiously I looked around the room for the source.

But there was no one, and nothing that I could see. I looked to the ceiling where her determined, yet frightened, brown eyes were directed, and squinted against the minute lamplight that orbed and centered at the farthest point in the room. What she was looking at was shadowed.

I heard her breath hitch, and quickly, almost missing the skip in my heartbeat, closed the door. "What is it?" I asked her quickly, my eyes darting. More curious then panicked. "What are you looking at? There's no one here."

"What are you talking about?" She whispered back harshly, "There is something here! Look!" With her finger, she pointed in front of her, making sure she got no closer to what she was scared of.

I squinted after her finger, taking a step into the room.

"Don't move!" She hissed, freezing me in my place. "It will fall on you."

I searched again, more precisely this time. But when I came up empty handed, without a single clue as to what the hell she was talking about, I frowned and scratched my arm. "Do you want to get this finished already? I know you have a lot of questions, and I'm willing to answer them. I just don't want you to be --"

"Shh. It's moving." She cut me off.

I watched silently as her eyes followed something that I couldn't see, and she twisted the paper roll around her hand, bringing it in front of her. She leaned in, hesitantly at first, and then smacked the ceiling as hard as she could.

I flinched at the sudden act of violence, and watched as she squealed and stepped backwards on the bed. After merely a second, she got down on all fours and peeked her face over the edge of the mattress, searching again.

"Are you going to tell me what is going on?" I questioned, oblivious.

She pointed to the floor after several quiet moments, and then shrieked and opened her eyes wide. "Get out of the way! It's not dead!"

I found that with her shrill voice, I became tense and weary. I side-stepped to the right, my eyes open and on the floor where her finger was directed. "What?" I gasped, searching again, hunting down whatever she thought posed as a threat. "What is it?"

"A spider!"

"A what?"

"Spider!" Finally she brought her round chocolate eyes on me, as if seeing me for the first time. It only seemed a second before her shoulders unscrewed, and her face became one of slight relief. "Oh, right. Kill it for me, will you?"

My mouth popped open with a light, almost audible click. "Why do I have to kill it?" I snapped, wildly returning to hunting down the insect. I found it after the third search; a brown, oddly shaped splotch on the carpet, almost like a stain. Carefully, I stepped around it.

"Because you're--" There was a pause, short but suddenly full of an electrifying amusement. I glanced at Kohana, pulling my lips back to lick them. Her eyes were on me, observing the way I cringed around the bug, making sure my feet didn't get in a certain distance of it. "You're afraid of spiders, aren't you?"

"Mildly, yes."

"You're kidding?!" Kohana seemed pleased at the notion of my fear, and I scowled at the small smile twitching her lips. "Are you being serious?"

"No, I'm not being serious. Now will you just get it out of here. I thought we were going to discuss other things." I didn't really understand my sudden anxiousness about getting through this subject of truth instead of ditching it. I guess I just wanted to get it all over with, so that afterwards, when I was drained of lies, I could feel the full fledged heat of my guilt. A frown pulled my lips down.

Kohana's face matched mine for a second, serious at first, and then grim. She turned quietly back to the brown spider, unrolled the paper, and tiptoed over to it, almost too panicky to keep her hand steady. I watched the paper shake as she lowered it to the ground and coaxed the bug onto it, then opened up our room to let it wander in the dark halls. When she came back, there was a familiar aura about her. The one I'd received when she was stone-walling me earlier in class. She was annoyed and angry, but most of all curious. I could see it burn in her eyes, and quickly directed my gaze towards the ceiling.

Okay," I murmured, hearing my voice strained like a rubber band about to break. "Now, I'm guessing you didn't stay up this late just because of a spider. You want to know everything, right? Like I promised?"

She nodded once, but said nothing.

Slowly, I brought myself down on my mattress, wishing that I could just be enveloped in its cushiony texture. I wanted to sleep forever. I wondered if vampires slept, but then was shocked by the sudden randomness of my curiosity, and settled it on something else. On why Kohana wanted to know so much about me; why she was so persistent, and wouldn't let me live my life in solitude. Sighing, I brought my hand up to my face and rubbed at my forehead.

"Okay… well, uhm, I don't really know where to start. How about you ask me a question, and I'll answer it to the best of my knowledge."

"Alright." Kohana shifted uncomfortably and began to unhook one of her braids, trying to at least compose herself. I knew she was almost bursting with questions. "Hmm. Well, let's see. I guess you can first tell me what your relationship is with the prefects. I mean why did they ask you to dinner, and why were you waiting at Zero's desk this morning --and don't deny it, I, and everyone, saw it."

The gears in my head shivered before starting to get into motion. There was no way that I could possibly tell her the secret of Cross Academy, unless I wanted her to think that I was insane, that I had lost my mind and that really I was just some strange child from the ghetto. I needed to think of something worth believing, something that wouldn't have holes in it.

Kohana waited patiently as I thought, and then, so quietly I could barely hear it, she whispered. "Don't lie to me, Anna."

"I promised I wouldn't." I whispered back. Suddenly there was a heavy rain cloud over me, but instead of showering me with water, it was drowning me in guilt. She couldn't know. She wouldn't know. Sometimes you have to lie to someone, no matter whether it hurts you or them. Sometimes its a necessity, sometimes it's inevitable. This was one of those times. Whether it was to protect her sanity, or my own, I knew that if I let the vampire secret bleed from my lips, it would change her life like it had mine, and I would have to watch someone that, mildly, I cared for struggle to understand what the truth of it all meant.

I wouldn't put her through that.

"There is no relationship between me and the prefects. Well, I mean Yuuki is really nice, but Zero is an ass." I raised my hand before Kohana could cut me off, and her lips fastened to a small close. She let me explain in silence. "I went to dinner with them because the Chairman wanted to know my progress. Because this is a new school and country, and because I have been planted in the semester so late, he thought it would be kind to treat me to something nice. I guess to try and make me confess to how I really felt about this whole thing." Her lips quivered on another question, but I raised a hand to quiet her again. "I know, he could of just called me down to his office during school and asked me straight out whether I was warming up to the place or not, but the guy is weird, what can I say. I think he was just trying to be friendly. But I won't be going back to dinner, I can assure you --not that I'll ever be invited again."

I waited quietly for Kohana to answer, and when she didn't I looked up to see that her face was calculating. It was easy to see her thoughts working behind her eyes, putting things together and pulling things apart. I was almost certain, and a little nervousness entered me here, that she was going to deny what I said as a falsehood, even though there really wasn't much lie in it at all. The Chairman had invited me on unsuspecting terms, and even to this day I wasn't really sure why.

Finally, to my relief, Kohana nodded, accepting that explanation. "You're right. The Chairman is weird. I can see him doing something like that." She smiled a little, but was then serious once more. "Alright, but you still didn't answer why you were waiting for Zero."

"Right. About that…" I frowned, wondering how much truth I could play into this without giving too much away. It seemed such an easy fleet to add bits and pieces of truth. It made me feel less guilty, and a little more honest. "Well, originally I was waiting because --I know this is going to sound stupid, and I don't want you laughing, or I'll beat you up, and I'm not joking about that either--" I paused for a slight, more natural breath, to give a hint of the embarrassment I was falsely portraying. "well, I needed a tutor."

It took awhile for her to respond after that. But I watched patiently as her face betrayed nothing but a solid, serious expression, and sooner than later, as my patience began to wear thin, Kohana's lips twitched, and her eyes wrinkled in the corners: she was trying to hold in her laughter. With a strained, tense face, Kohana nodded once, then twice, perhaps not really believing me at first. The whole time I kept my face still, expressionless, making sure she knew the consequence if she dare laugh at me. But the building seemed to be too much, and she let me know it by slapping a hand to her lips.

"Sorry." She whispered. "Are you being serious with me?"

I could have taken this slow acceptance with relief, for at the moment my friend seemed to be wrapped up in the humour involving me and a tutor. But the embarrassment of admitting that I was going to be taught by someone –especially someone of Zero's persona, made it even more excruciatingly painful then it was. I ground me teeth together from stopping the onslaught of swearwords I was receiving mentally, and nodded with a stiff, tense seriousness.

"As serious as I can be." I admitted quietly, unable to look her in the eye from that point onward. I cast my gaze to the fluttering green drapes, slanted and curled on her side and held together with a gold ribbon. On my side the drapes were slack, and hung completely over the open window, so that they fluttered when a slight breeze whisked through our room and cooled us. "I wish I were joking though. It is completely humiliating. Never in a million years did I think I'd need a tutor. Never in a million years did I think I'd be back at school! But I am, and thanks to Mr. Yamato, Zero is going to be my tutor. How exciting is that?"

"Well," Kohana said after a short minute. "He isn't _that_ bad. I mean yeah, his attitude sucks, and he's completely freaky with his silver hair and purple eyes, but he is _hot_."

The surprise isn't what stunned me, it was more of the disgust. As I turned my blazing eyes upon my brunette friend, her face turned slightly admirable, as if she was congratulating me on scoring in a game. I felt my face drop, my mouth open, my eyes turn hot with the thought of hopefully misunderstanding what she'd just said to me.

"What?" I questioned, still startled. "Did you just say he was hot?"

Zero, hot? Never. Not with that thin, milky looking skin, not with that constant frown and those lowered eyebrows, not with those pasty lips and violet eyes; definitely not with that silver hair.

"Come on admit it. I have, my friends have; Zero is completely different then the boys we have in our classes. If I was the Chairman, I'd of scooped him up already and planted his firm behind in the Night Class."

At the mention of the vampires, I shuddered involuntarily. Instantly, no matter how fast I realized that what I was doing it, and that I stopped immediately and brought my eyes back up to wearily look upon Kohana's peachy skin in the little light we had in the room from out nightlight, I could see the sudden seriousness and confusions masking her now, changing her good mood into another questioning onslaught.

"Another question," She said after awhile. And I knew exactly what it was she was going to ask, and could have answered it right then and there, but allowed her to continue anyway. "Why do you cringe every time I bring up the Night Class? It's almost like you can't stand them… or you're afraid of them. I've tried to figure out what kind of purpose would be behind your behaviour, but I always come up empty handed. I mean, they are gorgeous and nice and honestly sincere, and I doubt any of them have done anything to harm you. So it just confuses me seeing you act so…strangely around them."

When she finished, she resumed to that patient, waiting look, with her hands in her lap, folded, her eyes large and round and on my face, expecting to suck the answer right out of me. I knew she wanted me to answer straight away, without any hesitation to compromise my 'truthful' answer, but on this question, I was thoughtfully on pause, searching for a good answer, because I knew the truth would destroy her.

That they were actually vampires, and the reason I cringed away from them is because somehow they had frightened me at first, made me tingly with a nervousness that I didn't understand, and that now I fully understood the reason why they had induced so much emotion on my body. They weren't who they said they were, who they portrayed themselves as. With their perfect complexions, their perfect hair, lips and eyes, with their tall lean bodies, that could tower over a normal human girl easily, and perhaps use that advantage to drink from her the blood in her veins.

With a harsh pinch to my forearm, I brought myself back to reality with a start. There had to be something I could tell Kohana that didn't involve telling her the truth, that somehow I could make her believe my lie. And I could, easily, but I knew that I'd feel guilty about it afterwards. It was their secret against my friendship, and with a cold, solid heart I chose their secret. She'd be crushed if she knew about them, and at first she would take me as a liar, like most others would. Like I would if someone came up to me and confessed about seeing a vampire.

I took in a deep breath and held it for two seconds, before slowly letting it drain the tension from my body. Then I turned my eyes to her and forced a tense, little smile; already the weight of my guilt was painfully impacting my shoulders –it felt like someone was driving the end of a dagger through my bones, close enough so that it scratched them on the way in. "It's a very long story," I began softly, miserably looking down at the fingers in my lap, wet with sweat. "and I mean like a long, long story that goes back to when I was younger. Around thirteen maybe?"

She scoffed at my words, her eyes quickly amused by the perk of interest I'd managed to swindle her into. She leaned in casually, her eyes behind the clear plastic glasses intent on reading my face. "Is this a boy problem?" She questioned with a silent eagerness.

I knew Kohana was into the mushy stuff, and also into the my-boyfriend-stabbed-me-through-the-heart stuff as well. It was the only way I knew I could get her to believe me –if I put her likes against her, she'd have no choice but to fall for it. If I gave her a small story about how a boy broke my heart when I was young, and that ever since then when I thought of good-looking guys –because this fictional character obviously had to be good-looking to catch her attention and let her connect the dots by herself to the handsome little boy and the Night Class—I thought they were all self-conceited and reminded me of this character. And that the reason I never wanted to be around them was because they roused up all the bad memories and I'd always get this painful pinch in my heart.

I proceeded without hesitation to call up events that may have sounded romantic to her, or that may have sounded corny but romantic in the nerdy way. I tried to make it seem like I was deeply infatuated with this lie; that that this boy had really crushed me –even though I had actually never been dumped in such an agonizing way before. I'd pretend to get watery, but when my voice cracked and made me want to burst out laughing, I quickly stopped and finished with the reason he speared me with such cold ice.

He cheated on me.

It was the perfect excuse to end all relationships. To have either party crushed and hurt, and Kohana welled up like I thought she would. In the instant I finished my lame story with a melodramatic sigh, the brunette had her arms fastened around me like an iron vice, and I had to struggle to call air into my lungs.

"Can't breathe." I informed her weakly, tugging at her arm strewn against my neck.

"Oh Annabelle! Oh Annabelle, Annabelle, Annabelle." She soothed, already twisting her fingers against my matted hair. "Why didn't you ever tell me this? You made me think you were some crazy person for not thinking of the Night Class like I do. I thought you were into those boys with no real path in life, and I was so worried that you'd fall for one of those lame kids in our classroom. But to find out you were hurt like this! It changes everything!" Kohana brought me closer in her breath crushing embrace, and I squirmed uncomfortably. "I still can't believe you didn't tell me! But I'm so glad I know now. I'm so glad you can trust me like this. And I promise I won't tell anyone. I cross my fingers and hope to die, or stab myself in the eye if I tell someone –something like that. But I promise; promise, promise, promise."

If the first part of her speech hadn't struck me painfully, the second part had. I winced, but she merely took it as a flinch towards her bone-breaking hug, and released herself with an apology on her lips. It took a great effort to smile, and it seemed to take all the energy out of my lungs when I tried. To have such trust in me after I'd just lied was excruciating to hear. I didn't think that lying to her would cause such rippling agony; I'd lied to many other people, including family, and had no problem with it. But with Kohana it was like I'd physically cut open my arm and bled myself dry.

"Thanks. I appreciate that." I breathed, trying to find some of the lost apathetic self in me. "Some people would go around blabbing off my secrets to everyone, but I trust you enough. So thank-you, again."

This time when Kohana hugged me it was short and gentle, and she released me quickly in case she'd accidentally bruised me the last time. There was a timid smile about her lips, a certain glow that she'd lost from when I had first begun to hide things from her. Now it seemed like she understood completely, like there was nothing that big I was hiding from her anymore.

But of course there was.

I was hiding everything. From her, from me, from _everyone_. I was a vault that even I couldn't access.

For most of the night I was answering small questions. There wasn't really anything big left to answer, that or Kohana had forgotten in her content, euphoric mood what else she wanted to ask me. She smiled again and laughed at small jokes I made. And while she was having a good time with the supposed trust I had in her and she had in me, I was softly cursing myself to sleep.

--

The weekend came fast. And I was glad, at last, to put my bag down at the end of Friday and sigh a large breath of relief. To me the weekend was heavenly, a sanctuary away from schoolwork and learning. It was like entering a kingdom of silence and relaxation, a spa even. I felt absolutely thrilled that finally, after the last few days, there was this small little break until the next week of hell consumed me.

Kohana had also, with her new sense of the word 'friendship', gone out of her way to put together a little one month anniversary. For starting Saturday, I would have been at Cross Academy for a whole entire month. And I was just glad that I hadn't become a pile of smoking ashes, or in this case, a dried up carcass.

I didn't like parties that much, and had always shied away from them in my old neighbourhood. It was the only thing my friends couldn't pressure me to do, so instead they had resorted to physically shoving me there, so that by the time I was in the party house, I was fuelled up in my anger and made mortal enemies with almost everyone there. I had told Kohana multiple times that I would be content with just me, her and Susan snacking down on some ice-cream from the cafeteria and watching an old movie, but she insisted that I wait for the small surprise.

I didn't want to wait.

At every chance I got, I would try to make her realize that I wasn't just being modest about my dislike of parties, I was being completely serious. But she would just wave her hand and wink, and dismiss my complaining as a sign of yearning. She thought I wanted it badly:

presents, cake and all, but the whole Birthday party scenario bounced off me even worse then a casual get-together. She was taking this to a whole new level, one I wish would just simply evaporate.

"I don't want a party, honestly. I find them lame and stuff. And I mean really lame. Who needs all those people bombarding you with things? I sure don't…so uhm… cancel it?" I'd find myself saying when I had caught her walking through the school halls on the Thursday afternoon.

She'd answered me sarcastically, "Oh, of course you don't want it. I completely understand." And then had left me standing by myself while she walked off, laughing softly.

There had been no way to get through to her; Kohana was dead set on this. She'd even given me the excuse that my actual birthday was when Cross Academy had their spring break, and that this was just a small taste of what she'd throw for me before that time came around, and before we were separated –me facing my birthday alone. I negatively dreaded that day.

So now I was simply waiting –having already tried to change her mind, for her surprise party to go underway. But she had, so kindly, given me the heads up that it wouldn't be until late Saturday, and so that gave me the rest of that day to mourn for the sleep I would most likely miss. My experiences with parties told me that they usually didn't end until well into the next morning.

So my weekend was screwed from the start.

When I got back to my dorm, threw down my bag and flopped onto my bed, Kohana's presence was missing. But then she entered after me with a small baggy in both hands, and she was munching on the one close to her lips. "Here." She said, and I couldn't help but notice how much lighter she seemed, as if suspended in air, since the night I'd lied so casually, as if I was born just for that purpose. I was glad that she no longer had to worry about me, that she thought she knew everything. But I was also a little down.

Was it so wrong to actually be sad that Kohana wasn't worried any longer? That in reality she didn't know anything, leaving me alone in my own darkness? Did it make me greedy to actually kind of like all the attention I had been getting?

I tried not to think about it. Those emotions were for someone weak of mind. And I was definitely not weak.

I reached up and took the folded plastic paper bag from her hand. Inside was one of the cafeteria's chicken burgers, with extra mayo like she knew I liked –even though I had never told her my love for mayonnaise.

"Thanks. I'm starved." I moaned, sliding the layers of bread and meat between my lips, and savouring the taste against my tongue before I swallowed. "How'd you get this so late?"

Kohana put her book bag under the oak desk, shoved up against the wall at the foot of her bed. She picked up the comb on the side table, sat down on her mattress, placed the half eaten burger on her lap and began to undue the two French braids in her hair. "Angela offered. She's been doing cafeteria duty for an assignment in family studies. Some questionnaire sheet. And she decided to stay back and help Mrs. Summers clean up the place. She got leftover food and gave me some. There were cookies, but I ate them, sorry." Kohana smiled, and tugged the comb through her hair.

"Oh, well. You'll pay for that sooner or later."

She ignored my lame threat, and we ate in silence. Not an uncomfortable silence with the twitching and the darting, rapid eye movements. But the type of silence you can enjoy with a friend that is so completely set on giving you a party you don't exactly want. It was comfortable and light, and once I finished up my burger, I sighed with satisfaction and lay across my bed, my feet pointing to the ceiling, and my arms beneath my head.

"So other than the get-together tomorrow," –I was still reluctant on calling it a party—"What are your plans?"

It didn't even take Kohana a few seconds to think about it. "Nothing." She answered quickly, on her feet and shuffling around the room. She collected my garbage and threw it out in the washroom trash-bin.

"Want do something then?"

"Uhm." At this she paused. "Nope."

"Huh?" I brought my eyes to her face, watching as she reached under my bed and pulled out the dark, leather-bound vampire book I had borrowed from the library. The very sight of it roused memories from the very depths of my mind, and I shivered and pushed them back. "Why not?" I asked, partially distracted.

She rubbed her hands all along the spiral, golden script on the front cover, and tilted it back into her lap to open. The first few pages were stuck together, and she carefully pried them apart. "You've had this book for forever. Don't you think it's time to bring it back?"

"I forgot." I reached out to snatch it from her, but she refused to let me have it by pulling it away from my outstretched arm, and I glared at her. "Why all of a sudden are you cleaning up the room?"

"For the get-together, obviously. I'm just making sure everything is nice and clean."

"I don't think people are going to be reaching underneath my bed."

"You never know." Kohana flipped through the contents, and then searched through the index, half interested in the subject. Her eyelids were slightly drooped as she scanned the pages she turned too. "Out of all the types of things a young girl could be interested in, you choose to obsess over the myth of vampires? Don't you find that rather odd?" For an instant afterwards, although I tried to ignore it, a thick amusement seemed to fill her eyes, and when she blinked, it turned into a wide-spread grin against her lips. "Is it like some weird fetish or something?" She whispered mischievously, eyeing me with a disturbing, twisted humour that I turned away from and eyed the green folds in the curtain instead of her probing brown eyes.

"What are you talking about?" I hissed through my teeth, feeling the tension turn my muscles to stone. The thought of being impressed by a vampire was all too real when I was unaware that they actually existed. I did like them, and I did wonder what it would be like if our world was as infested by them as it was by us, the human species. Now the idea seemed stupid and immature, because now that they were real, I sort of worried for the victims the blood-suckers would trample and rip apart.

Again I reached out and tried to take the book from her bored, observing hands, but Kohana was too fast and she pulled her body back so that she lay on her back, the book towards the ceiling and her eyes wide and curious and on its pages. "I'll bring it back." I said quietly, swallowing the rage that had suddenly turned my insides to white fire. "Just give me a few days. If you don't want it in the room, I'll just get Susan to hang on to it for a bit."

"Okay." She replied.

The silence that followed was awkward to me, but casual, it seemed, to her, as Kohana's eyes moved right to left and left to right, back again. She turned the page once, twice, but never once moved those prying eyes from the black print, and so I was left wondering if she'd found something interesting in the book, or if she was just trying to annoy me.

"Find anything?" I said after awhile.

"Yeah, one thing." She answered in too quiet a voice, so that I had to strain to hear her. "Right here," she continued, pointing to a paragraph above her head, where the book was still located, thrust towards the ceiling with her straight arms.

"Am I supposed to have the ability to look through the cover of a book and see what it is you're exactly pointing at?"

At this, Kohana gave a short, smart snort, and flipped the page, ignoring me completely. I decided, once it seemed that I wouldn't be able to get the book back from her until she was bored and fed up with the supernatural, to leave her and get back to satisfying my own needs.

I grabbed a towel off the bathroom railing and took a quick, soothing shower. She was still reading by the time I stepped back in, a pink towel loosely cascading down my back and circling around my head, and a identical one around my torso. I sat down, grabbing the same brush she had used to untangle her braids --her hair was now thick and plump, and wavy like an ocean on a good day-- and began to pull out any of the knots the conditioner hadn't managed to slacken. My hair still felt dead, and my eyes watery from the pain of the tugging, but I was satisfied once I was able to run my fingers unopposed through my hair.

"So why won't you hang out with me then? Got other plans?" I questioned casually, truly curious deep down. Usually I hung out with Kohana or Susan on the weekends, since I had deemed almost everyone else an enemy or an acquaintance I wasn't looking forward to having a more intricate relationship with, but since Susan was stuck with a cold --which I heard about the other day-- Kohana was all the forms of communication I had. And I wasn't looking to make new friends. "You can't lead me to believe that organizing this party will take all day." There, I'd said it. _Party_.

"Yes." Kohana answered, eyes never once flickering to me. "It can and it probably will. But you're forgetting something Annabelle. I swear, you have the shortest memory span I think I've ever seen."

"Oh thanks. I'll take that compliment to the grave."

Kohana snorted. "I'm not trying to be mean. But don't you remember?"

"Remember what?" I asked cautiously, my eyes narrowed as I took in her casual laid back posture. The book had now fallen onto her stomach, and her eyes behind the glasses were still moving as she read, and spoke to me at the same time.

"Zero."

I blinked. "Oh, right. I think I remember him. He's the one with the strange silver hair, right? The one with the creepy skin, and the one you think is hot?" My sarcasm earned me an indignant look.

"No, he's the one that's tutoring you tomorrow morning."

That struck something. It also brought back that one insolent memory of me and Zero in the math room, while our teacher plotted his evil plans for my educational benefit. I choked, unable to contain my surprise…or my disgust for the subject. Thankfully Mr. Yamato didn't schedule this session early in the morning, but ten o' clock was still pretty early in my opinion, therefore my groan was loud as I forced my head into my pillow, hoping that somehow the gentle texture of it would turn vicious and just consume me completely.

"Thank-you, again! You make my day full of happiness." I whined, feeling the full extent of my dislike crash over me. The tutoring couldn't have been with someone more sophisticated and quiet, it had to be with the jerk of the school --as most girls squealed when he had shouted at them for being annoying around the Night Class gates. Just picturing the silver haired prefect --one other human being that knew about vampires, yet I was not comfortable speaking with because of his attitude, which was completely hypocritical seeing as I was not exactly the opposite of him, but almost like a clone-- made me fume with an uncontrollable surge of rage. I bit my lip until it felt raw, and then relaxed when I caught Kohana's eyes, staring at me as if I'd finally burst another head out of my neck.

With a soft sigh, she snapped the book closed and placed it on the edge of my mattress, where I picked it up once I'd managed to sit up and calm the tingling feeling in my fists.

"I could tutor you." She said, examining me from her side of the room. The one arm behind her head, Kohana took off her glasses with the other and put them on the nightstand. "Ask Mr. Yamato tomorrow if you're really uncomfortable with Zero. He was tutoring Yuuki for a bit, and although her grades weren't sky rocketing, she was still passing. So he can't be all that bad, right?"

I looked to the closed, leather-bound book, it's title glittering like gold. I felt compelled to run my fingers over the slight indentation, feel the soft, sleek material drop and rise against my fingertips. This book had been under my bed since I'd come face to face with Gerald. It seemed like months ago, when really it was just a week. Before I said anything I slipped the book back under my mattress, promising to bring it to Susan before I went to class tomorrow.

"That's the understatement of the year. Me and him just don't get along. It's like two wolves against each other. Whoever rips the first throat apart is the victor." I responded softly, my attention still averted to the book which was now completely gone from my sight.

Kohana pointed her chin towards the ceiling, and her eyes fluttered briefly before closing, her short curled eyelashes brushing the tops of her cheekbones. "Just give it a try. Like I said, if worst comes to worst, then ask Mr. Yamato if I could switch places with Zero and tutor you myself."

"Yeah, but problem." I pointed out, brushing a stray strand of black hair from my pillow. I put my wet head against it, not really caring if the cover got wet, and looked over to see that Kohana was not staring at me with curiosity; instead she had pulled the blanket up to

her neck, and was snuggling in to her pillow. "Mr. Yamato made this a beneficial agreement on both ends. I get better grades, and Zero gets off for skipping classes all the time. If you were to take his place, then it would no longer be a win, win situation."

"Then stop complaining." Kohana mumbled, her voice heavily accented with fatigue. "You're both getting something out of it, right? Just concentrate on the goods, and forget about the bad."

"How can I forget about someone who gets on my nerves?"

There was a soft sigh that passed through Kohana's slackened mouth, and I didn't know if it was out of irritation or simply because she was on the verge of drifting from reality, but her answer was said about a minute after my own. Time delayed because she was falling asleep.

"Just get over it. You haven't even talked to him, have you?" Before I could open my mouth and protest, she continued in the same, murmur of a voice. And I had to concentrate to hear her. "Yeah yeah, you may have said a few words. But nothing completely solid, right? Try to be nice… there's nothing wrong with making friends around here…" And her voice trailed on the last note, and I knew there was nothing else I'd get from her that I would be able to hear tonight.

I'd have to do what she said, and live with it. It was my consequence for skipping out on my education, and now it was time to atone for that mistake.

Despite the small revelation, the night passed by quickly, and I hardly got a minute of well-needed sleep.

--

The morning was dreary and dark, and the sky was heavy with grey thick clouds that blotted out the sun as if they had despised it, and so the very state of the Dorm seemed to mimic that natural feeling on a bad day --everyone was slow as they strode through the ivory, old-fashioned halls. Groups of friends murmured instead of shouted and giggled, and the boys, only able to mingle with the girls outside, had decided that the flirtatiousness of their advances were better left for another day.

My hair was a mess when I woke up; dishevelled and weird, with very flat parts on one side of my head, and full strands that stuck out at strange angles on the other. Instead of teasing it, I decided to just slick it down with the full powered straightening iron in the bathroom, and afterwards applied the usual thick eyeliner rings and black eye shadow. Kohana was still asleep as I slipped on my skinny jeans and a loose tank top, savouring the feel of bearing my naked arms to the world since, in a month or less, the summer would turn to a flurry of cold, battling winds, and it would force the academy students to dress up completely, from head to toe, in thick clumps of snow gear --which I hoped wasn't true to my overactive imagination.

I didn't stop for breakfast, even though my stomach was growling and I needed to place a hand on it in case it decided to feast its way through my skin, and when I was at the Academy doors, huffing and puffing through my lack of exercise, I was all too aware that a numbing feeling was distracting me, finally, from the beast that was my appetite.

Was I actually nervous?

Not that someone teaching me something should be nerve-racking, but I felt oddly shaken. Right about now I could of done with a cigarette, but I had forgotten them in the small of my closet, tucked neatly beneath a pair of jeans. Not to mention I was running low, and I didn't know what to expect from the shop if they found out I was underage when I would try to purchase another pack.

I waited outside the door, stupidly, for about five minutes before gaining up the most courage --and willpower-- that coursed through my body, and with a big breath I pushed open the large, heavy doors and felt, rather than saw, the open, towering space of my school…on a weekend.

"I should still be sleeping." I mumbled, finding my way through the halls, until finally I was walking down the math rooms, peering into each one to see if a familiar face would catch my attention. But Mr. Yamato hadn't changed rooms, and when I stopped at his class, looking through the gap from the open door, I saw his grey head bobbing, a orange bag glistening against his fingers, and two feet straight and on top of his desk, beside a stack of papers.

His attention didn't flicker to me at first as I squeezed into my original spot, simply out of habit for going straight there whenever I came to this class, and he didn't even glance when I pretended to cough. His head was turned away from me, towards the blackboard, and every so often his fingers would seek a Cheeto, I assumed, from the snack pack in his hand. I caught the barest glimpse of something in his ears, and the long dangling string of earphones against his stripped shirt. He was listening to music.

I coughed again, harder this time, but to no avail, his attention didn't change, and even a flick of my arm, as I tried to wave at him and gesture wildly that my presence was now here, he didn't turn. Feeling oddly irritated, I leaned back in my chair and crossed my arms, and scanned around for the silver head.

But there was no silver head because Zero wasn't here yet.

I tried to remain calm as I was ignored; the clock read ten o' five, and Zero still wasn't here. Finally the teacher himself glanced up at the large circular clockwork over the blackboard, and with an intake of breath which I could hear, swivelled around. His initial reaction was humorous, but I was too annoyed to crack a smile, or feel the burble of laughter rise in the depths of my stomach. The eyes behind the glasses widened, his lips thinned, and he quickly brought his hand up to his heart, which may have skipped.

"My god," He breathed. "Why didn't you tell me you were here?"

By now the earphones were on the desk, attached to a thick, bulky walkman, and he dropped the hand against his breast on to the wood, beside another set of papers.

"I tried." I explained bitterly, gesturing with one hand to the mp3. "But you were busy snacking down on them Cheetos and listening to your music to notice me."

"Ah, right." Mr. Yamato, after adjusting his glasses, peered over the rims to scan around the rest of the room.

"Zero isn't here yet." I informed him, just as angrily. The weekend was beyond my fingertips, taunting me, and as long as the prefect didn't show up, I'd be whisking it away in here. "If he doesn't get here soon, I'm going to go get my bat." There was a slight indication that the teacher began to laugh, his shoulders shook, but I was fastening my eyes to his legs then, which were still perched high on the desk, lounging. "I must admit, you're very teacher-like today."

His lips twitched and stretched into a smile, and he shrugged. His legs moved from their solid state on the desk, bending down, until the clunk as his booted feet hit the marble floor reached my ears. "Can't a teacher be fun once and awhile?"

"That's not being fun." I stated. "That's being a kid."

"No, I wouldn't call it that." He said, softer this time. His fingers moved to the stack of papers on his desk, and as he thrummed through them by wetting his thumb, I wondered if I'd just mildly embarrassed him. "I think keeping that child-like behaviour as you get older keeps you sane. Without it, you just become dull. Everyone has the right to be wild sometimes."

"I thought math teachers were supposed to be dull."

Mr. Yamato chuckled. "Surprise, surprise. Then I must be the first math teacher you have known that eats Cheesies." His face became serious afterwards, but he didn't look up, instead picked up a blue pen pressed against the stapler on his desk, and scribbled down something on a paper. A grade I was guessing. "Math is important. But people can be logical, as well as creative at the same time. People think that logic sucks away your creativity and your fun, but if you don't want it to, than it won't. It's as simple as that."

"To be honest, I don't believe that. I think school ruins you." I said, calmer this time. His eyes came up, and he frowned but said nothing, returning afterwards to the work spread out before him. His fingers were still faintly orange from the cheese, but he no longer snacked from the bag across from him.

I waited ten more minutes for Zero to show up, in silence because Mr. Yamato didn't further wish to produce life-altering advice from his lips. He seemed perfectly calm with the prefects lateness, while I was fuming, clenching and unclenching my fists at my side, watching as the large hand of the clock ticked mercilessly from number to number. Eventually I became too annoyed, frustrated, and bored, and let a groan seep from my lips. I tilted back my head so that my hair slipped over my shoulders and hung down the back of my chair, my eyes closed, my mind cursing inwardly at the prefects charming detachment from this tutoring plan. I was about to get up and leave just then, but I heard a shuffle of fabric, and the hard taps of shoe heels against the floor, and languidly opened my eyes.

Zero was sauntering inwards, his eyes flashing from me, to the teacher, and to the clock, before he seated himself in his own memorized spot, three rows of chairs higher then mine. I scowled, and narrowed my eyes at him, and when the upside down image of his body became dizzy, I lifted my head, tucked my black hair back over my shoulders, and glared instead.

"Ah, Zero," Mr. Yamato announced, pushing away from his desk and standing up. "Glad you could make it. Alright, so now that you are both here, we can get started. Or, to be more exact, you _both_ can get started. Annabelle, I see you didn't bring your books?"

I shook my head.

"You didn't think that you would need your books for this lesson?" His smile made me think that he was insulting me, and I frowned, unable to be completely serene at the moment. "Then I suggest you come up here and use mine for now. I'll expect it at the end of…let's say, twelve."

"You speak as if you're leaving." I thought out loud, sceptic.

And Mr. Yamato shrugged, more amused than before. "That's because I am. It's the weekend. Just because you two can't enjoy it, it doesn't mean I can't."

"So you're just going to leave us? Unattended? Where I could just get up and leave whenever I wanted if I got fed up with…" I revolved my head slowly, casting my eyes silently to the brooding silver-haired prefect in the corner of the room, with his chin perched in his hand, and his lazy, bored eyes ahead of him. "_him_." I mumbled darkly.

By the time I looked back, Mr. Yamato was organizing the papers slain lazily across his desk, putting them in groups and them slipping them neatly into a compartment of his desk. He was still smiling, though now I hinted at a partial threat in the way his eyes gleamed. "Well, if you decide to leave, and I come back, and you are gone, then you'll likely flunk your next test and Zero will probably flunk the course. So it's either my way, or the highway."

I sighed, burying my head in the folded pillow of my arms. "That's a stupid saying!" I protested.

"Whether it's stupid or not," Now he was collecting the brown suitcase slanted against the side of the desk, and throwing the bag of Cheetos into the garbage pale, "It's accurate. Now, I'll be back about quarter too, and if I see that you've made some progress, then you both can have the rest of the day off. But tomorrow I'll be expecting you at the same time."

I groaned loudly, and barely heard his laughter in the iron vice of my arms against my ears.

"Annabelle, the lined paper is in the cabinet beside the desk. Zero, make sure she writes out formulas and each step for the equations. I don't want her to memorize it, but _understand _it."

I heard Zero's bored reply, "Yes, sensei."

Mr. Yamato's footsteps disappeared quickly, as if in a hurry, and I wondered if it was because he didn't want to be late for whatever he was doing, or because he didn't want me to physically throttle him silly. I pulled my head up from my arms, blinking away the itchiness in my eyes, and turned to see Zero staring up at the ceiling, conveniently away from me. I waited for a few minutes, but he didn't move, just a casual blink and the soft raise and fall of his chest as he breathed. The clock ticked, and yet still not one of us shifted from our seat. It felt like my bottom was glued to wood, and that I couldn't move, or that I didn't want to move, because if I went to go sit beside him, it would be because I needed his help, right?

And he was clearly not thinking about moving over here, because then it would seem that he wanted to help me? When really he couldn't care less.

I didn't see why he had to be so stubborn. This was beneficial for him just as much as it was for me, but he was being cocky, it seemed. Didn't want to get his male hands soiled from helping a female, did he?

That was fine. I really didn't want to ask for his help either, but one way or another, as Mr. Yamato had basically put it, we needed each other to get through this course. So, glumly, I stood up from my chair and walked over to the cabinet where the papers were stored, and picked up the math textbook on my way up the long, narrowed steps. I was silent for the most part, aside from my big breaths and loud glares. Zero's eyes flickered to me for only a second, and when I walked around him, pulling back the chair beside his, he straightened his back, almost bored, and rested his chin against the palm of his hand.

I slammed the textbook down onto the table, and pulled up close to the desk. "Let's get this over with," I muttered quietly; a silent hiss. "Then I can go back to my room and sleep."

The page number was slanted across the board, left by Mr. Yamato as the only instructions. It was trigonometry, a subject I hated more then most. As my eyes read the angles and sides, as well as the equations of Sine, Cosine and Tangent, I mentally wished that Zero would pull out his silver gun and plant one straight through my skull. My mouth twitched at the thought. But before the smile had even begun, it fell away when I felt Zero's eyes on my face, and I turned to see his bored, almost frustrated eyes half-lidded.

"Yeah, yeah." I said coldly, "I know you don't want to be here. Neither do I. Just teach me the damn subject and we'll go our separate ways. Deal?"

"Whatever, it doesn't matter to me." He replied, almost exactly with the same annoyance in his voice as mine. His violet eyes looked down at the book beneath my fingers. "It's an easy subject. What don't you get?"

"Everything." I admitted. "I hate math. No wait, let me rephrase that -- I hate everything that has to do with school." I gave him a small, bitter smile. "And that's why I dropped out."

It didn't seem like he really cared. Zero, with his chin still in his palm, reached over and pointed to a question on the page. "Do this question normally."

I blinked, confused. "You mean… how I would attempt at doing it?"

"Yes."

"Right, thanks for clearing that up for me. I'll get right on that, boss." Moving the textbook out of my immediate path, I straightened out the piece of lined paper, and using a pen I found lying on Mr. Yamato's desk earlier, I began to copy out the question.

The actual information that was in the text book, I copied out well and completely, drawing the exact replica of the triangle and all the angles given to me. It was only when I was faced with the dilemma of choosing between the three solutions: Tangent, Cosine and Sine, that I paused and searched, wearily for Zero's face. His eyes were still on my face, unnerving me, but they were bored and waiting patiently for me to finish up so he could either tell me how stupid I was for getting it wrong, or actually write out the correct answer and explain why my answer didn't match up. Those violet eyes turned away for a split second, scanning my paper, before returning, still impassive.

"You didn't do anything," He said, stating the obvious. "All you did was copy out the question."

"Yeah, I know." I answered sourly. "But this is the part I get stuck at. I usually just stick with Tangent, but I know some equations have Cosine and Sine to them. I just don't know how to figure out which solution goes with which." I paused briefly, watching his expressions. But they didn't change, and I frowned. "It's confusing." I admitted quietly, looking back to the triangle on my paper, the tip of my pen near the margin.

"Your looking at the angles. Instead look at the opposite sides the angles are pointing at."

I searched, but didn't quite understand. When he saw that my fingers were not moving forward, nor had my face relished in a single moments worth of knowledge, he impatiently placed his finger on Angle A, and brushed a line to the line opposite it.

"Mark that as little 'a'." He instructed, and I followed mechanically, scribbling the lower letter beneath his finger. He did the same with the other named angles, B and C, and I followed his instruction without complaint. Then he moved his fingers away, and I glanced up, waiting for the next order.

"Tell me what the formulas for Tangent, Cosine and Sine are." He said.

"Uhm…"

"Remember it this way, SOHCAHTOA."

I thought about that long and hard, keeping my eyes on the paper in front of me, trying to remember a lesson that may have, at the time, flown over my head and zoomed straight out the window. I barely remembered what he said, or what it meant, and although I was having trouble comprehending it, I still tried to recall it.

"Alright." I muttered, mostly to boost myself rather then anything else. I watched the triangle on my paper for a long time, even wrote the formula Zero had given me beside it. But there was still the trouble of deciphering the formula, and I suspected that he thought that I knew what it meant. Which I didn't. But like I had said previously, when someone spoke of mathematics, my brain just seemed to shut down, and I learned nothing. Therefore the formula was basically just a floating sentence in my thoughts; that is until I looked at it more closely, tried to fit things together like a jigsaw puzzle.

"The S, the C and the T stand for Sine, Cosine and Tangent, correct?"

"Yes."

"Okay, so then… these other ones must be…" I clicked my tongue impatiently, slightly afraid to get the answer wrong. I glanced up at my prefect teacher, and watched his expression as I continued. "Opposite, Hypotenuse and Adjacent?"

"That's right."

Even though this was Zero in front of me, and not an actual teacher, I had expected somewhat of a smile to grace his face as I got the formula right. But all I got was the same dry response, as if he had been through this more than a million times, and was now only repeating it for my benefit.

At least my mouth wasn't glued down in a permanent frown, and I felt the corners of my lips twitch and stretch. "So I'm right?" I turned back to my paper, still content. However small that answer was, it was still a win for me in the face of trigonometry, so I was allowed to happy. "Whoa, I actually did something correct. What a surprise, huh?"

As I had assumed, Zero said nothing. More or less he was waiting until I was finished so that he could continue, and slowly my giddy mood dimmed. I blamed it on him, for his sour attitude was probably leaching onto me, for after a few minutes, of listening to him explain how to use the formulas, I was bored, already, all distant euphoria vanished.

"Right. I get it already." I muttered, moving his hand away from my paper. I caught the annoyed expression in his eyes, noted on the fact that his hands were surprisingly cold, and tried my first trigonometry question under the now impassive eyes of my tutor. Once I was finished, I leaned back in my chair and gestured to the question with my head. "How's that? Did I do it right?"

Zero leaned in to check, and moved back a second later. "No."

"What?" I searched the paper beneath my hands, seeing the triangle, the calculations; not seeing the mistake. "but I used Sine."

"It's Cosine. Look over the angles."

And I did. Unfortunately, like all things were, Zero was right and I was wrong. I had messed up my angles, and quickly re-fixed them to suit the question. Zero stayed silent for the next two questions, which I did on my own, without his help. Out of those two, I had barely skimmed by the right answer on one of them. But still, it was progress, and I was more then happy to know I was getting somewhere with this, even though it was just the basics and not the hard trigonometry laws we were learning about in actual Math class.

Eventually I stilled on my energetic charade, earning myself four out of ten brownie points. I'd managed to snag four answers correct, while the other six remained mistakes. I was getting better, seeing as when I first came here I knew absolutely nothing about trig. The same euphoria filled me again, and I smiled at Zero, who didn't smile back, just sighed and looked bored, his chin leaning against the palm of his hand.

There was a minute where I watched him, where the smile on my lips slowly faded. It was the reality that dawned on me in that instant, one I'd been to afraid to touch since last night, when Kohana had taken the vampire book out form beneath my bed.

Slowly, I turned back to my work, copying out another question onto the lined piece of paper, forgetting about tracing the triangle this time.

"I've been meaning to ask you something." I said cautiously, without a look in his direction. But I could feel the attention on me, and continued without much of a stop. "I've been meaning to ask how you deal with them. You know, the _vampires_." At this I lowered my voice, instinctively afraid of being overheard. "I mean, how long have you known they've existed for?"

My eyes wandered to his, briefly, just to pick up some type of response. But his reaction kept my eyes focused, unopposed, staring at him. I could see the tension that had risen in his body, the slight widening and narrowing of his eyes, and a cold tremor ran through me. It wasn't that he looked scared, he looked dangerous for a minute, almost like I had crossed some type of boundary. I tried to pull my eyes away, but couldn't, and felt the confusion dwindle on my expression.

"Why are you asking me that?" He said, glaring almost. "This isn't a social gathering. Do your work."

"Whoa," I responded. It was like there was an invisible cord attached to the both of us, for once his brows had furrowed, so had mine, and a hungry anger burned in my stomach. "What the hell is your problem? I just asked a simple question."

"It's none of your business." He replied, cold as stone.

"Not my business? I'm sorry, prefect, but if you haven't noticed, yes, it is my business."

There was an indignant pause between the two of us, and we both shared that time glaring at each other. It wasn't until he snorted and turned away, closing his eyes and perching his chin back into the palm of his hand, that I turned away also, fuming over his selfishness.

How dare he deny me that answer. How was I to know he would explode from a simple question? I knew he was a jerk, but I didn't know it went this deep. The guy had problems I didn't want to deal with, so I left the conversation there, ended, cut off. I would have to hunt Yuuki out if I wanted to ask about vampires, for Zero simply would rather bite my head off then grant me an answer.

"Stop doodling and get back to work." The silver-haired prefect said bitterly from my side, and I glanced up, a thousand and one swear words upon my lips.

It took restraint to hold them back, and I did, eventually, once I noticed the stick people that were surrounding my math work.

Any talent that I had ever had was clearly lost back when I was younger, for the artistic ability of drawing anything but a circle for a head and a stick as a body was simply out of my reach, and the ability to listen and receive knowledge was so as well.

"I think I've done enough work. I already answered ten questions." I pointed out.

"You only got four of them right."

With an intake of breath, I turned to him and glared, my lips settling into a low frown. "So? At least I got some of them right. God, you're such an idiot."

"You're calling me an idiot?" He said through gritted teeth, and I noticed the strained tension of his jaw. "You're the one failing math."

At that I scoffed. Yes, I was failing math, and yes, I was probably failing every class known to man, but you didn't need to know a whole lot of logic to be smart. There was wisdom, and I had gone through enough experience to know some of that.

I stuck out my finger, and jabbed him in the shoulder. It was more of a random act, that once I was finished made me wonder why the hell I would do something like that, but at the moment it was fun, and Zero was being nudged for his stupidity.

"And you're the one failing because you skip. At least I fail because I don't know this shit. You fail because you suck, and because you skip." I smiled almost condescendingly at him, and felt the surges of rage pulse through me like liquid fire, again and again. I didn't like him, he didn't like me. We were both the same, and clashed awkwardly, and to be honest, there wasn't much fun in pushing someone's buttons when they were basically the same as you. It was like staring into a mirror and making fun of yourself. And yet, it was almost to difficult not snap at him, simply because he was a jerk, and jerks deserved to be snapped at.

With his eyes narrowed, Zero looked menacing, and yet all I could do was smile.

"You know what?" The prefect rose form his seat in one fluid movement, and before I knew it, he was sauntering around my chair, saying, "I don't need this shit. Figure it out for yourself."

There was a part of me that wanted to just sit and watch as Zero left, prideful because I'd just made my tutor ditch me. But the other part was screaming and cursing because I _needed_ him. No matter how much he dug beneath my skin, he was the only way out of math class with a successful passing grade, and therefore I couldn't let him go. Not yet.

"Wait, wait!" I stumbled as I pushed the chair back, reaching out to grab his sleeve.

I barely caught him as he was leaving the door, and he stopped, barely. I could feel the tension run down his arm; it felt like he was going to pull away in a second, so I took that time instantly let his arm free, and squeeze past his side until I was at his front, almost a centimetre between us, my arms outstretched and clutching the frame of the door, so that if he moved, he would run into me.

I caught his eyes and frowned.

I didn't want to be the one that made him stay here with me, so that he could help me. Really I didn't want his help, but there was nothing else I could do, and there was nothing he could do either. We were two peas in a pod. The only way to get out of the pod was by doing this, being the bigger one, overcoming the urge to lash out at him.

Slowly, very slowly, I let the tension drain from my body, never once lifting my gaze. He stayed silent, but I could feel the heat behind his eyes. If I didn't move, he would probably just push me out of the way. Heck, he'd probably be able to do it without much of a fight. I wasn't exactly tall, and although I was strong when I got really upset, I'd only ever truly fought a girl before. There was a difference between the structured muscles of a male and a female, which he could clearly use against me. But I stayed adamant in my decision, and didn't move until I got what I needed to say off my chest.

"Turn around, buddy." I ordered. "You aren't leaving this room until Mr. Yamato comes back, and if you try to… well, I'll just have to kick both shins." I nodded towards his legs, easily accessible from me. His eyes narrowed; he didn't get my joke. "Alright look, look, I don't mean to come off as a bitch. I just rub people the wrong way. And in this case it was you, clearly. But as I've said before --and I don't know how many times I'm going to have to drill this into your head before you learn it-- you're going to fail if you leave, and I'm going to fail if you leave." I took a long pause, weighing his response. When he didn't say anything, I continued slowly. "We both don't want this. We're both going to be angry. See? We're alike, right?" --How it pained me to admit that to him-- "Let's just get this over with." And cautiously, with a small smile, whether he'd take it in a good-hearted way or not, I added, "I'll even stop asking you questions about the …uhm, things."

But there was no response. He just looked at me, and finally, after about a minute of me thinking he was going to just charge me through the door, he turned around with his hands in his pockets, and sat back down in his chair.

I sighed a long breath of relief and joined him.

Unfortunately after that little episode, there was still thirty minutes left of the said tutoring time period. So I listened as Zero explained briefly what I did wrong, and what I could improve on for that time. It was a little tense after that small confrontation. Maybe it was just me, but by the time Mr. Yamato came back, peering in through the doorway to see if we were still occupying our seats, Zero and I couldn't wait to separate from each other.

"Ah, you're still here, I see." Mr. Yamato gave a contended smile, and leaned over my shoulder to take a look at the piece of lined paper, which there were now two of, with my questions and formulas slanted across them in my not-so-elegant writing style. I got to my feet just as Zero had, but by the time I turned around, the prefect was already out of the room, and I rolled my eyes, not amused.

"Yeah, it was alright. I learned the general formulas. Got a few questions right." I handed the teacher the papers, which he took and checked over. "Got most of them wrong, but--"

"At least you got some right." Mr. Yamato finished for me, and he smiled, adjusting the glasses on the bridge of his nose. "I'm proud of you Annabelle. Good work. So I'll see you tomorrow then?"

Inwardly I groaned, outwardly I sighed and rolled my eyes, cursing the teachers existence. If only he wasn't born, maybe I'd have some foreign teacher who just slacked off and passed everybody.

"Yes," I mumbled. "Tomorrow it is."

"Excellent."

I left without saying goodbye, too glad to be out of the school building that I rushed and tripped halfway down the hall. Once I was outside, I breathed in the cool, refreshing air, and felt the rush of a breeze against my skin, tickling me and calming me.

Where was a pack of cigarettes when you needed them?

I knew where they were. They were at the back of my closet, beneath my clothes, where Kohana was probably inviting people to have a nice refreshing, enchanting stay.

The window was hidden by the dark green curtain when I counted it out from the many windows built into the Sun dorm. To go or not to go, that was the question.

I was sure she was at work, bustling around somewhere in there. I didn't know whether she would prefer me at her side, complaining about the party, or not there at all. Against my deepest turmoil, I decided not to go. As long as I could hold off on this party for a short while, I would be happy. She had made it plain and simple that it would be there when I got back later this evening, and that no matter what I said or did, it would stay solid. The idea was as hard as diamond, and so was my glasses-wearing friend.

Somehow I drifted away from the Sun Dorm, and closed in on the gates to the Moon Dorm, shining like a white-washed mansion before my eyes. I was on the path the girls usually collected at to squeal their obsessions, and I sunk down onto the grass by a small, skinny tree.

There it was. The vampire domain. Just there, like a giant flashing light bulb. And no one could see it. Only I could, and the few people that knew about their secret. It felt lonely here, wondering what they were doing inside. It felt strange when I noticed I was curious, and that I wanted to know what it was like, how they came to be, why they were here. If they were feeding from the young girls on the campus.

The Chairman said that they were good vampires, I told myself quietly.

But how is a vampire good when it inevitably wants to kill a person? I doubted that these creatures didn't have thoughts about it every moment they were awake.

Did they sleep during the day? Did they have coffins?

So many myths, and I didn't know which ones to choose from. Unfortunately I knew that, even though my rebellion should have earned me a ticket in the arts of strength, courage and power, it had all just been an act to shell my weaker side, and that when reality set in, I would be to terrified to ask them such questions.

The movies really screwed up someone's perspective of something, that was for sure. I kept having flashes of elongated fangs, wild bloodcurdling howls of hunger, sharp, dirty claws that toe through flesh like a knife to butter. And I shivered, more than once, as I watched the vampires dorm, picking up clumps of grass into my palms and tossing them away like a two year-old would when they were bored.

Why had Gerald been so different? While these beautiful creatures inhabited half of Cross Academy, Gerald had been ugly and grotesque, sickeningly pasty and evil. Very evil. Evil to the point where Susan and I had almost died.

And Susan, with her mind gone, completely erased. Was there anyone I could actually talk to? Zero snapped whenever I spoke of vampires, Yuuki was rarely in my line of vision when I was boiling with wonders, and I was still afraid to go speak with the Chairman, in case he thought I was handling this knowledge badly and wanted my memory to disperse as well.

It wasn't that I didn't not want to know about vampires, I was just scared to know. But didn't that come with all things? Isn't everyone scared of something they don't understand at first?

There was a long pause in my thoughts, where I took in a deep, deep breath. My therapist from a year ago had told me that it helped calm the brain; it felt as if I had been doing this a lot lately. The only problem was that the lump was still in my throat when I finished, the pain in my chest still strong.

Was I really alone?

No, Yuuki was there, and the Chairman. But I guess when your in a deep situation, it just feels like you're by yourself, that no one can help you. The sad thing was, the people that I wanted to understand me weren't allowed to know. Kohana, nor Susan, could ever learn of this secret. Whether it took me to the extremity of lies or not, I would protect them from it.

But how would I protect myself from it?

* * *

**A/N:** **OH MY GAWD. Watching the first episode of Vampire Knight guilty. Am slightly hyperventilating here... It's in Japenese, but who cares!? Even though I can't understand it, the pictures are good to look at!**

**Ohh, and I got a VK pillow. I know, ehhh?! A pillow! So that I can now sleep on the faces of my beloved VK characters!**

**Ahem... Yes... I know that this chapter is quite boring... and that it took so long to get it out. Uhm... Well, here's the thing, I forgot to mention I was going to England for a few weeks. This chapter was basically already finished, just needed a few more ending sentences, and I was going to put it out before we went... but as you can see I couldn't manage that.**

**Anyway! The next chapter will be more entertaining. I've already got it planned out... now all I have to do is write it!**

**This story is over one-hundred thousand words. Isn't that amazing?! It makes me happy. Although it makes me unhappy when I can't get my fricken fingers working on this damn keyboard! Stupid school, stupid new games for my wii. Stupid distractions! **

**Must... keep...writing!**


	16. Anniversary

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or its characters. I do however own Annabelle Locke.**

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen**

"Surprise!"

I had known about this, I had thought about it an hour before returning to the dorms, so why was I so damn gloomy when the crowd burst out and welcomed me to the party Kohana had planned for my one month anniversary attending Cross Academy. Most of the people in the room were unrecognizable, and I knew that they were probably more close to Kohana than they were to me. But Susan was standing in the crowd, her nose red, her hand curled around a Styrofoam cup. Kohana moved forward to embrace me.

"Surprise." She repeated. "You've survived your first month at the Academy!"

"Surprise!" The rest of the group cheered, some even toasted by lifting up their drinks.

They were all girls. Maybe twenty of them, compacted tightly in the small of our bedroom. I wondered how Kohana could have pulled this off without the prefects knowing --Yuuki wasn't here-- and not get into trouble for holding the party at such an hour. Seven 'o' clock wasn't late for me, but here the girls were supposed to be in pyjama's and halfway rested at ten.

I could barely force a smile as Kohana slung her arm against the back of my neck, leading me into the crowd and up to a rectangular table with juice and chips.

"Enjoy." She said with a smile. "It's all for you." With her index finger, she tapped on the plastic bowl holding a pack of salt and vinegar chips. "I didn't know what kind of junk food you liked, so I just picked up whatever I could at the cafeteria."

"That's alright," I assured her. Salt and Vinegar weren't really my favourite, but they were satisfying either way. I kind of needed a sting through my body anyway, and popped a chip into my mouth.

Kohana nodded and gave me a thumbs up, before returning to a group of girls I'd only seen her hang out with once. It seemed she hadn't been too picky in her selection. There was no way all these girls were close friends of hers.

A platinum blonde girl with short cropped hair came to my side then, and smiled at me before taking a chip and refilling her empty cup with orange pop. " Congrats." She said in a mellow voice. "Kohana is really something, huh? We were best friend, you know, a long time ago." The girl turned around, her tailbone to the edge of the table, and sipped her drink. I listened, partially distracted, as she continued. "But then Ichijou came in-between us and… well, she's a little obsessed with him. So just a warning, try not to like the same guy she does. She may not give you another party like this."

"Uhm…" How do you respond to something like that? I looked at the girl, baffled, speechless, trying to think of something. But she only smiled, and raised the cup in a silent toast.

"It's alright." The edge of the cup touched her lip, and she took another swig. "I've moved on to Aidou-senpai since then. Which one is your favourite?"

"Uhm…"

"Shiki-senpai isn't bad. If you're looking for someone a little more wild, Kain-senpai s a good candidate too."

The thought of choosing between a pack of vampires sent a sharp cry of coldness through my spine. When the girl looked at me strangely, I pretended I was just cold. I wondered whether she would think the same way if she knew they were night-walkers. I took a second to rethink that, glancing around at all the squealing girls, who were probably in conversation about the very thing me and this girl were in, and decided that they would probably offer up their blood in a second, even if it inevitable meant their deaths.

I tried to smile. "I haven't decided yet." I lied. "They are all amazing."

"Ah, I knew it. Kohana told me that you were not interested in any of them. I thought you were crazy, and had to meet you for myself. But it's good to see you on the right page." The platinum blond gave me a tap on the shoulders. "By the way, my names Jessica. Anyway, I'll see you around. My friend wants me. See ya."

And she left and weaved her way through the crowd. I didn't try and find her again. A few times, as I stayed close to the snack bar, some girls would come up to me and make small talk. But it was never anything a friend would talk about, more like someone who didn't know the person the party was held for and just didn't want to feel guilty about it later on. So most of the talk was about the Night Class, the vampires, the things they didn't even know about. I just nodded and agreed for the most part, never giving their conversations a second thought.

Eventually I found Susan sitting on my bed, with a redhead next to her. They weren't speaking, so I assumed they were just resting. Beside Susan were three tissues, crumpled and used. I picked them up and threw them out, before sitting beside her with a sigh. In the background, Kohana had turned on a stereo I had never seen before, and some soft pop music came flowing out. Some of the girls started to dance.

"Still sick?" I asked.

"Obviously." My friend replied, her voice nasally. She was watching Kohana , then her drink, then my eyes. "I don't know how I got it. But I'm all sluggish now, and dizzy, and my head hurts."

"Did you take any aspirin?"

"I did a few hours ago. It's probably worn off now."

"I have some if you want it. Do you want me to get you some?" I made as if to get up, waiting for her response.

Susan shrugged, her eyes ahead of her. "Sure, I guess."

"Alright. Hold on."

I tried to squeeze passed the swaying girls who had drinks in their hands and potato chips in their mouths. The reason I hated parties more than anything else was because it was so compact, you could literally hear every mouth close, every loud gulp, every voice and laugh. It sounded like a repetitive song playing over and over again, broken and defective. I came to my closet and opened it up the best I could without bumping the door into someone, and dug through my clothes until I found my purple purse, the lone pack of left over cigarettes squashed beside a red bottle of aspirin inside.

I withdrew the bottle and headed back to Susan, who had another set of tissues beside her. I threw those out, then handed her the bottle. She popped open the top, took two, and swallowed them with a mouthful of pop.

"Mm, tasty." I teased, putting the bottle on my bedside table. "Maybe you shouldn't be here. You should be getting rest."

Susan groaned and put a hand to her forehead. "You don't know how many times I've heard that."

At that I laughed. "And I can only imagine how many times you'll get it again." But then I was serious again, with a small frown creasing my lips. "I don't think you should be here though. Honestly. I don't want you throwing up on my bed."

Susan rolled her eyes, lips twitching into a humorous smile. "I don't have that kind of sickness."

"That's what they all say."

She laughed and took a sip of her drink. By that time getting myself something to drink didn't seem like a bad idea, but I stayed by Susan's side instead.

"You should get to you party." She said after awhile.

I was leaning against my wall, with my feet up on the bed. The crowd hadn't calmed down yet, the girls were still dancing and drinking, and the toilet was constantly being flushed. There was a remote happiness inside of me from the knowledge of knowing that the punches didn't have alcohol in them. But the way these girls were acting, crazy, squealing, it was like a party at Julia's house -- an acquaintance who had beer kegs brought to her basement when her parents were gone for the weekend.

"I don't like parties." I explained quietly. "It's too crowded anyway. Wherever I go, I'll end up bumping into someone."

"I kind of figured that."

"What? Bumping into people?"

"No," Susan shook her head. "I knew you didn't like parties." When I looked over at her, she was picking at the edge of her cup. "Kohana threw me a party for my birthday awhile ago. She does it from her heart, but I do find it funny how she invites everyone she knows. Anyway, that's not important. I feel bad that you're sitting here with me and not enjoying yourself."

"It's not that I'm not enjoying myself exactly."

Susan looked at me seriously. My lips twitched.

"Alright, so I'm not really enjoying myself, but like you said, it is interesting to see how she works. I mean, she thought I was joking when I said I didn't like parties." I closed my eyes and laughed at the memory, and continued over the voices of the music. "You know what's even funnier? She doesn't even look like someone who knows how to throw a good party. She looks like she would be interested in, I don't know, other things."

In all, Kohana was really a strange girl. She knew how to have fun, and also knew where her head was at. I guess you could say I kind of envied her. She had the brains and the femininity to get her far. I just lacked everything.

"Yeah," Susan agreed quietly.

We both sat in silence for a few minutes, listening to the music and the people talking, until Kohana skipped over with a cup or Root-beer and handed it to me. I thanked her and chugged it.

"C'mon, why are you two sitting there like lazy-bumbs. Get up and have fun." She chided. When I put the empty Styrofoam cup down beside me, she grabbed my wrist and yanked me to my feet. "Let's dance." And she dragged me towards the snack bar, away from Susan. I had to twist my head around and mouth an apology to the sick girl, but her eyes were on her feet and she didn't see me.

"You haven't eaten anything either." Kohana opened up my hand and dropped a handful of ketchup chips into it. I looked at them without expression.

"They aren't poison, you know."

I glanced up. "Huh? What?"

Kohana frowned, and took the biggest chip from the pile in my hand. She popped it into her mouth and chewed. "You seem distracted. Is everything alright?"

"Oh yeah. Just tired."

"How was Zero?"

"I would be lying if I told you he was bad." I admitted with a shrug. "I don't like him, and his attitude stinks."

"Did you ask Mr. Yamato if I could tutor you instead?"

There was only one reason I would have forgotten to ask the teacher that, and it was that Zero had successfully managed to swim beneath my skin. I must have been too angry to remember. My mouth opened with a pop, then closed, and I frowned. "I forgot." I said. "Shit, I forgot."

"That's okay." Kohana assured me. She smiled, but I didn't return it. I was still beating myself up for not asking; I could have gotten away with a different tutor tomorrow. "Anyway, why aren't you dancing? Don't tell me you don't like to dance either."

I shrugged. "I have nothing against it, no."

Kohana breathed out a heavy breath she had been holding in, and mouthed the word 'woo'. "I'm glad to hear that. You don't know how many girls say they can't dance to get out of it." She tucked her hand beneath my elbow, and steered me towards a group of girls that were swaying to the music. I had never met them before, nor did I really care about meeting them, but Kohana had made it clear that tonight was her night, and that I was going to participate in it.

"This is Annabelle, guys." She introduced me, and the girls smiled and waved, saying hello. I muttered a response, but I didn't remember what it was. They talked to one another, and Kohana, and rarely I got asked questions which were mostly centered around the Night Class. I hadn't thought that these girls were so obsessed before --I mean I knew they had a problem with it, but I didn't know it was this big-- and so I would either shrug or murmur a yes or no. Mostly I just gave them what they wanted to hear --that I was interested, just couldn't decide-- while earning a sympathizing look from Kohana, who still believed I had been dumped by a good looking boy a few years ago.

The party wore on, and I barely got a chance to sit down after that. I warmed up a little to the questions that weren't about the Night Class, but barely enjoyed myself when Kohana started to sway with me, making us look as if we were dancing with the groups of friends she had invited. Some of the girls were leaving, excusing themselves because they wanted a good nights rest. Others were resting on our beds. Susan was still there, the collection of tissues growing like a ravenous beast at her side. She hadn't moved since I last spoke to her, and barely conversed with one of the girls that would try to cook up a conversation with her.

Kohana refilled my cup with more Root-beer after I came back from using the bathroom, and I drank it down quickly, feeling the carbonated liquid sizzle in my throat. We ate chips until they were almost gone, flipped through songs until we found something good, and swayed again with the rest of the girls still occupying the small space of our room.

That was until someone broke into an annoying laughter from behind us and brought most of our attention to the room's door, which was now open, that whatever fun I was engaging in slowly diminished. A few girls came into the room, causing Kohana to stop abruptly, the smile being washed from her face completely. Because of her, I stopped as well, followed by the group we were dancing with.

My room, as I've said before, wasn't that big. So it didn't take all the squinting and looking over peoples heads to see who had invited themselves to the party.

It was Kira and her little sidekick Seika. They were standing in the doorframe, with their arms crossed, and Seika was leaning in to talk to a girl with black hair.

"What is she doing here?" I heard Kohana whisper from my side; a rhetorical question that I answered anyway.

"I don't know." I said, a flare of heat flushing through my body. "But why don't we go find out?"

As I wormed my way through the crowd of dancing girls, I caught Susan's eye. She looked serious and worried, and was beginning to stand up in order to come to my side. But I raised a hand and reassured her that everything would be fine. All I wanted to do was talk to Kira. I didn't want to start anything.

"How come you didn't invite me?" Kira chided sarcastically when Kohana and I finally reached her at the door. "Aren't we friends, Kohana?"

Kohana looked to the ground and removed her glasses. She cleaned them on her shirt, and then looked at me. "It's Annabelle's party. I didn't know if she wanted you to come or not…"

Kira faced me, glowering. "How come you didn't want me to come to your party, Annabelle?"

"Why would I want you to come?" I answered acerbically, feeling my jaw tighten as I watched her. "If you hadn't realized by now, I clearly don't like you."

"Touché." She responded, and she moved her hand back and started to close the door behind her.

But I stuck my foot out, and the door came to a stop, wedging my foot painfully against it and the wall. "What are you doing?" I growled. "You're not staying."

Her eyes narrowed, and she looked around, as if seeing the party for the first time. When she looked back at me, her cheeks were red and her brow furrowed. Beside her Seika had folded her arms against her chest, looking doubly angry and annoyed.

"Why not? If there's a party in my dorm, I think I should be allowed to join." Kira answered. She tried to close the door again, but my foot wouldn't budge, and I placed my hand against the door and pushed. But she pulled, so that we were both fighting to get the door open or closed.

"Stop this, Kira!" Kohana pleaded quietly. Over the sound of the music, I could barely hear her. "Just leave."

"No!" The girl shouted, looking flustered. "I deserve to be here. Right Seika?"

Her crony nodded. "Yes." She said. "I think we deserve to be here. So back off Kohana."

"No," I objected. I felt a surge of anger in my veins again, and by this time my arms were tingling. "You don't deserve to be here. Neither of you do. So just get the fuck out."

This time I pressed my shoulder to door and leaned my weight against it. It did budge, even though Kira screamed in frustration and tried to pull it shut again, with both hands on the doorknob.

"Let off!" She snarled.

Kohana took a step forward, and in a worried voice yelled, "Kira, Annabelle, stop!"

But neither of us listened.

I hadn't even noticed, until I could no longer here music, that everyone in my room had stopped dancing, chatting, even drinking, just to see what was going on. Like I had said in the beginning, when I had first arrived at Cross Academy, this school was like a church. Every student seemed so well made, except for Kira and Seika, that they probably didn't even know what fighting looked like, even meant. So it really was of no surprise to see that all the girls looked curious, except for Susan, who was amongst the crowd, now standing, her eyes wide and her mouth open.

Have you ever been placed in the center of something before? It makes you feel like you're competing if someone is with you. It makes you want to win. Which was how I felt at that moment, trying to open the door while Kira tried to pull it shut. My foot was groaning against the pressure of the door, my shoulder stinging as I applied more of my weight to it.

"You let go!" I ordered her, but she snarled and forced the side of her body against me, trying to move me out of the way.

"Get out of my way!" She responded. At this point we were both shouting, trying to be louder than the other, trying to be more powerful as we were surrounded by a group of frozen spectators.

"Annabelle!" It was Susan. She was now beside Kohana, and she looked frightened. "Annabelle, just let it go. Be the bigger person!"

That wasn't exactly possible now. Now that both of us were riled up, neither of us wanted to lose. We were like two lions fighting over territory. I could barely hear Susan's voice over the roar in my mind.

With my free hand, I shoved against Kira's shoulder. "Stop pushing me!" But instead of loosening up, she pressed into me more. By now I was squashed against the doorframe, wincing as the door squeezed more onto my sore foot. "Get off of me!" I shouted. "Let it go!"

And instead of bashing me further into the wall, Kira actually released some of the pressure. I could almost hear the light bulb flash on inside her head, but I couldn't untangle myself fast enough before her fingers loosened on the doorknob, and I was sent hurtling out of the room.

I thundered out into the hall, stumbling over my own two feet until my stomach fell against the cold wood. Knocking the air out of my lungs. I gasped for a breath, and then turned onto my back and looked up.

Kira was grinning like an imp between the doorframe, her hands perched on her hips. Seika was on her right, letting lose a foul cackle, and Kohana and Susan were at her left, both of them looking worried.

I watched their expressions for a minute. But once Kira spoke, I instantly turned my face and glared liquid fire at her.

"OH, what's wrong Annabelle?" She purred with a sneer. "Lost your balance, have you? Are you going to sit there forever? Or are you going to get up?"

"Kira," Susan said in a quiet voice, her eyes still locked onto me, sending their concern. "Please stop. This isn't the night--"

"Oh be quiet." Kira growled. "The both of your are traitors." She nodded her head towards Kohana as well. "I don't want to hear a word out of you."

Both of my friends looked back at me. As they stayed silent from Kira's orders, I knew they had given up fighting her. They wouldn't do it. No one did. Simply because they didn't know _how_ too. But I did. I was the only one who had thrown a punch at Kira before, and while all the girls had been squealing and gasping, I was the one who had won that fight.

I would win it again.

I lifted myself off the ground so that I was standing on both feet. There was a time in everybody's life when they knew something had to be done. Anything if it meant what they were doing was right. I, on the other hand, knew that I would never be right, but I did know what had to be done.

"Don't talk to them like that." I hissed through my teeth. I could feel the strain in my knuckles as I balled my hands into fists. Kira caught the movement in her eyes, and looked down at my hands with a laugh.

"What are you going to do? Punch me again?"

"I don't know. You've already pissed me off."

"Have I? That's too bad. You've pissed me off too."

We were at a stand still, glaring at each other. It was that type of moment where you slowly, very slowly, begin to calm down and wonder if this was really the right thing to do. It was one of those moments that made you stop, look around, and feel how surreal and fast this situation had come upon you. It was one of those moments where you could feel the thin electricity form through the air, making you feel as if you were walking on very thin ice.

And at the moment I _was_ walking on thin ice. I could almost begin to feel it tremble beneath my feet.

"Annabelle…" Susan's voice softly drifted on the air.

I barely glanced at her, but I could see both the expressions of my friends clearly as if it had been burned to the back of my eyelids. They were worried for me.

But they shouldn't be. I was Annabelle. I was supposed to do this. This was me, the fighter. I wasn't supposed to gain concern, I was supposed to be seeing fear. And I couldn't pretend that these emotions weren't toying with me. So slowly, cautiously, I lowered my shoulders and tried to breathe out the tension in my body.

"Go." I muttered beneath my breath. Kira said nothing; she was still poised and ready for combat. "Just go." I repeated, taking a step closer. I meant to go around her, so that I could speak with Kohana and Susan, close the door on Kira and get back to the party that was now dead silent. But, out of the corner of my eye, I could see Seika whisper something to Kira, and Kira grin, almost humorously, at me. Before I could go through the door --which Susan and Kohana had moved back from, allowing me space-- Kira shot out an arm to stop me.

I stopped instantly, and glared at her. She grinned and mocked a dumbfounded shrug.

"Sorry, Annabelle. But it seems you've been kicked out of the party." She said with resentful innocence. "And since you're the one in the hall, and I'm not, why don't you just scurry along until it's finished."

"Stop being stupid." I muttered. The control I had managed to build up before wavered inside of me, muddling with my indecision. "Just go away."

Seika laughed again at Kira's side, and said, "Uhm… let's think about that." She paused briefly, making it dramatic by bringing a finger up to her chin. Then her eyes widened, and she smiled. "No."

Kira snickered.

I looked back at Susan and Kohana, and they looked at me, almost pleading me to be the bigger person and forget her. The other girls behind them were just quiet. Not willing to do anything about this.

When I turned back to Kira, she was grinning like a mad horse. Her eyes darkened after a second, and she said, "So, how about you _go away_. You're not that much fun anyway."

"I'm not playing games with you, Kira." I threatened.

"Oh, I'm so scared."

"You should be."

Her eyes narrowed, but she said nothing. I thought that was it, the end of this little argument. I didn't want Kohana and Susan to worry anymore, it made me feel guilty. So I grabbed Kira's arm when she didn't dare budge it from the spot in front of me, and pushed it away, taking a step into the room.

But then she screamed in frustration and placed both of her hands on my shoulder and pushed, until I was practically stumbling out of the room yet again.

And that was it. The final straw. I don't think I thought of Susan or Kohana at that time. My control had completely shattered, as if I had taken a hammer to it. My fists were on fire, my lungs twisting, my cheeks flushing.

I don't really recall how it started. First Kira and I were about a meter apart, the next we were fully entwined.

Her hand was in my hair pulling, while mine was pushing against her face. We were both growling like bewitched animals, stumbling around the hallway, unaware of the girls shrieking and coming out after us.

"You stupid bitch." I heard her swear.

"Fuck you!" I heard myself respond.

We were tripping over our legs, tugging at each others hair, pushing against each others stomachs and faces. I remember twisting around and shoving her against the wall, trying to claw and strike her face. Then we were both on the ground, rolling. Her fists were colliding with my head, while mine were striking her shoulder. We twisted again. I got a mouthful of her hair, but kept bashing with my right hand, now unaware of where I was hitting.

The adrenaline was pumping through us both. I couldn't even feel pain anymore. All I was aware of was this animalistic competition. I had to win, I had to win. I could no longer hear anything but the shrieks of anger from my opponent. And that just riled me up further, until I was so far gone that I was running from rage alone.

We were like aggressive dancers, trying to pummel each other into the ground. Even though we were women, our small ounce of testosterone was one fire. We were out for blood.

I hit and hit and hit. She kicked and kicked and kicked. I bit, she pulled on my hair. We were going around in circles.

That is until there was interference. A bunch of hands grabbed onto my shoulders, yanking me off Kira, who was beneath me. Her fingers were caught in my hair, and she kept pulling, trying to bring me back to her. I swung against the hands, trying to strike her in the face. But there were too many of them, and eventually they got Kira's hands away from my head, and me away from Kira's body.

I was panting heavily, seeing through red. Kira was helped up by about five girls, who restrained her from coming after me again.

Everything seemed to slow down again. Eventually my breathing calmed, as did hers. I could see the damage I had done, and didn't doubt she was looking at the same things on me. Her hair was a mess, the right side of her face red, her uniform was crumbled and crooked. There was a scratch on her neck.

"You stupid--"

"Stop Kira!" A girl said at her side, shaking her roughly by the shoulders. I noticed Seika glaring at me from Kira's other side.

"Are you okay?" Surprisingly Kohana was the one of the girls restraining my arms, and I looked at her in wonder. I didn't think she'd be apart of this.

I turned back to Kira, and straightened up, telling the girls that I was fine. That I wasn't going to go after her.

Reluctantly they let go of my arms. I glanced at Kohana, then fished Susan out of the crowd. She was on my other side, behind the girl with platinum blond hair that had been holding my other arm. She was looking at me the same way she had the night I had punched Kira in the face. She looked ashamed.

"Are you okay?" Kohana repeated in my ear.

"No." I responded petulantly. "No, I'm not okay. I never wanted a party. I never wanted to fight. I never wanted anything. And now look at this." I gestured around me with a hard hand. "This is where I end up. You know what," I looked at Kira, who was now getting the girls to let her go as well, "here, the party is yours. Enjoy."

Before anyone could stop me, I turned around and ran. And ran and ran and ran. And I didn't stop when I heard Kohana yell after me, nor did I look back when I heard footsteps following me. I just pushed my legs harder and harder until I couldn't push anymore.

And then I was outside and no one was following me. I was half way down the road leading away from the Sun Dorm before I stopped and braced my hands on both my knees, breathing in so deeply that my lungs felt as if they were going to explode.

I had to run. There was no other option. If I hadn't I would have broken down in front of everyone. That would be too embarrassing. I would have been humiliated. The only thing I knew how to do was run.

And I had. Out into the night. Out into the open. Out where the vampires could get me.

--

I don't know how long I walked for. It felt like an hour when in reality it was probably only ten minutes. Purposefully I had walked away from Cross Academy, aware that Yuuki Cross and Zero were probably out scouring the perimeters for Day Class girls. I promised myself I wouldn't be sent back there. Not now while the girls were still rowdy, probably chirping and chatting about what exactly went down tonight. I didn't doubt tomorrow an embroidered truth to the story would be sent lose through the student body.

Now I could feel the pain in my body from where Kira had struck. The bruises that were forming were tender. Luckily my face didn't feel smashed. It was only the roots of my hair that suffered major damage. I rubbed my skull absently, weary of my surroundings.

I hadn't cursed myself for very long about running out into the night. Actually I hadn't really cared. It was like I was asking for the vampires to come and get me. It felt as if I would gladly give up my blood for them, because at the moment I was depressed and shuddering with emotions. I had even wondered, for a split second, whether it would feel better to die that way then any other.

The night was clear and cold, a reminder that summer had ended. I looked up at the sky, seeing a thousand and one stars sparkle in their trapped prisons. The moon was full and glowing. It was beautiful. But also terribly dangerous. The paranoia that was rousing in me was intoxicating. I should have been angry, still even from fighting with Kira. But stepping out into the darkness was like leaving that anger behind. Now I was feeling fresh fear fill me.

I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to go back, yet I didn't want to continue walking. And also, I didn't want to _stop_ walking either. The darkness was just as alluring as the Night Class was. It was a world away from my world. Something I could sink into and disappear forever in.

I stopped by a tree, unsure of where I was. I could hear the wavering chill of water running, and closed my eyes to the sound, breathing in the coldness of the night, drinking it in like a hungry animal.

I had barely even heard the footsteps against the grass --so silent and rhythmic that it could have been the wind itself-- , until a voice came drifting to me. I snapped out of my daze in a second, a white hot lance of surprise wringing into my bones.

"Isn't it a little late to be wandering around in the dark, Annabelle-chan?"

It was that voice. The boyish, honey-toned voice of a certain blonde vampire, who had the ability, I remembered, to freeze my feet. Slowly, cautiously, I turned around.

Aidou was staring at me from a small distance. That mesmerizing face, those bright turquoise eyes, the lips that were tugged up at the sides, smiling at me. I made as if to take a step back if he came closer, and grabbed onto the tree with one hand.

"I didn't think you were the boss of me." I replied, surprised to find that my voice was ringing with the shakes. Trying to calm myself, I took in a deep breath and swallowed.

Aidou didn't laugh, but he smiled more. "I didn't say I was the boss of you. I was just wondering if you knew the dangers of coming out into the night." I could see, rather than sense the danger in those words. Even from this far, the red tint of his eyes was undeniable. All I imagined was Gerald reflecting back at me. "You look like you've been in a fight. Have the girls in your dorm been fighting over me?" He purred, and he took a step forward, while I, to keep a distance, took a step back.

"Why would they fight over you?" I breathed quietly. "You're just a slimy little vampire."

"Ah. Why such rude names, Annabelle-chan? I'm just trying to be nice." A certain darkness befell his eyes then, and again he stepped forward, while I tried to step back. Only this time I was betrayed by a tree, which collided with my back unsuspectingly and knocked the wind from my lungs.

I didn't make a sound. Didn't show any change in my stature when that happened. He might've jumped me if I winced or looked away in pain.

"You trying to be nice?" I tried to act tough, tried to recall the venom that I'd felt burning me when I had faced Kira. But there was a difference between a mortal woman and an immortal man. "The last time I saw you, you froze my feet to the ground."

His eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed. "Because you grabbed onto Kaname-sama like that!"

"Get over it." I hissed.

"Why you--" Aidou stopped and then straightened himself up. He looked almost pleased with himself. And after about a minute he said, "I won't let you get under my skin, human."

"I'm not trying to get under your skin, vampire." I said coldly. "I just came out here to wander in the darkness. Why do you have to come bug me?"

The danger that I had seen before returned, if almost more so than before. "I haven't paid you back for getting me into trouble, Annabelle-chan. That was really cruel of you."

Suddenly I felt the blood singing in my ears. The spit in my mouth dried up almost instantly afterwards, followed by the wetness that was now embracing my palms. I opened my mouth to say something. Nothing came out. I tried to remain docile and calm, while he looked upon me, waiting for my answer. I didn't know how well I did; I was pretty sure I did an okay job, but with all the things I heard about Vampiric enhanced senses, I doubted he didn't smell the sweat.

"What do you mean, 'pay me back'?" I said quietly. It was hard to hear over the thump, thump, thump of my heart beat. "I didn't do anything. You're the one who used vampire powers on me." This time when he took a step forward, I raised my arm out ahead of me, my fingers spread. It was like I was directing traffic; making myself the new permanent stop sign. "Wait, wait!" Although I wanted to tear that smile from his face, I had to admit that up against a vampire I would simply be turned into a pile of play dough. And I very much liked my body human-shaped. "Stop Aidou!"

He did stop. Yet I don't think it was because of my command. His eyes fluttered to a close, and he inhaled. When they were re-opened, they were red again. "Ah, I can hear your heart very well. You're not scared of me, are you?"

"No." I lied hastily, breathless. "But wait, just listen to me! You got yourself into trouble because you froze my feet, right?" It felt like I was bargaining for my life, and now suddenly he looked rather bored as I tried to claim it as something more important than vampire food. Which was strange, since I had so stupidly thought of dieing by blood drainage before. "So then, you didn't have to act that way towards me when I grabbed the other guys sleeve. So technically you're the one that got yourself into trouble. So then you shouldn't be…uhmm…uhhh…" I trailed off when I felt ice cold fingers curl around my wrist.

Maybe it was the surprise that cut me off, or the way he had quickly stepped right up in front of me, without me noticing it. All I knew was that my body was completely solid, unmovable, like pounds of cement had melted into my blood stream and hardened there. I couldn't move, and it wasn't his magic. I think it was my fear.

"I didn't get a taste last time." He murmured, completely ignoring my plea. "You should let me have one now, since you got me into trouble."

The heart inside my body accelerated, to the point I thought that it was going to jump out of my chest and take off in fear. I couldn't respond to him right away, I didn't know how to. How do you say something to someone when they just asked to drink away your life. _Drink_ it, instead of take it. All I knew how to do was swallow and breathe heavily, watch in a solid trepidation as his thumb stroked over the veins in my wrist.

The chill of the touch made my body reach for my voice. "I…" I began to say. I tried to pull back my hand, as soon as a wave of that smell washed over and through me. It was that inhuman scent, a fragrance so rich you could literally just smell it for hours and hours, and never be fed up with it. My mind went foggy for just a second, but that was enough for Aidou to shift and move.

His free hand came against the trunk of the tree, just beside my head, and he tugged my imprisoned arm above his shoulder.

My voice came back to me then. "Stop… What are you doing?" I asked, although I didn't know how loud my voice actually was. Over the roar of my heart, it might've been as loud as an ant squeal.

"I don't find it fair that I get punished when I try to help Kaname-sama, and you get to run free." The dangerous edge returned to his voice, and the grip on my wrist tightened ever so slightly, but just enough so that I could feel the numbing in the tips of my fingers, where the blood had been cut off.

"I didn't run…" I muttered under the heavy sound of my breathing. Now all I could see was his eyes, closing in on me, filling my universe. "I…uhh…"

__

Thump

Thump

Thump.

Over and over again; non stop. My heart was going to explode, I was sure of it.

It felt awkward having a vampire towering over me. It felt frightening and life-threatening too. Even though my mind was screaming to get away, to do anything in order to get to freedom, my body was tensed up and powerless like a deer, solid and unmoving, in the face of car lights. I couldn't do anything as those cold fingertips moved away from my head and down to my throat, where they tugged at the white collar of my uniform.

"Don't be afraid, Annabelle-chan." His grin only grew, and my breathing stopped completely when I could see the faint glint of two sharp canines beneath the plush top lip of his mouth. "I promise it won't hurt."

"No…no, no, no."

I couldn't let him do that. I didn't _want_ him to do that. Perhaps it was just a tad selfish, but I hadn't even given up my blood to a blood bank before, even when it was revolving around my school with a greedy horde of hospitalized gadgets, with the elderly picking kids arms and the kids yelping out as they shook. If I had refused to give sick people my blood, there was no way I was going to let some creature use it as food to satisfy their hungry bellies.

"It's mine." I replied lamely, bringing my free hand up to cover my neck. "I won't let you."

His eyes narrowed. "You're not being nice to me. I really… just want a taste."

The cold fingers against my wrist only seemed to get colder, until I noticed a soft foggy tint to my skin. Once I tried to move my fingers, and a few flakes of snow fell from them, I understood that I wasn't getting out of this whether I wanted to, or not. Instead, I tried to glare. But by now Aidou was everywhere. His smell, his uniform, the feeling of being hunted.

It was like I was in those movies. The thrillers with killer vampires and slutty, half naked chicks screaming through a meadow of some sort, continuously looking behind them to see if the night-walker was upon them. In my case, I was already trapped.

Aidou's free hand moved my hand away from my neck with ease. By this time, that hand was frozen as well. It was like a giant wave of cold had washed through me, turning my blood to stone. I could barely even blink without a sweep of cold refreezing them. I couldn't move.

I couldn't move!

When I tried to open my mouth, it felt like it was glued shut. Not with average paste, but with super glue, the kind of tacky stuff you glue wood together with.

Was I frozen?

Had he frozen me to keep me docile?

I heard a faint chuckle come from the body above me. I could no longer see those eyes, just the white fabric of his shoulder, my arm, and the masculine hand that was curled about its wrist. Although, when I tried to focus on it, I couldn't feel that hand. Nor could I feel the other one at my side, or my legs, or even my lungs. I didn't even know if I was breathing or not.

What I did feel was the cool breath against my neck. The chills that sprinted down my spine and wiggle like worms beneath my skin. I couldn't feel the muscles of my feet, but understood that they were giving way when my vision started to slide downwards, to the point I was staring at the embroidered silver on his uniform.

Oh god, I tried to scream. Someone help me.

This thing was going to devour me, and he'd made me completely vulnerable with that power. How was I supposed to fight that? I couldn't do it. I couldn't…

The lips barely grazed my neck, but I knew that in seconds, my life would be slowly drifting away from me. I don't remember when my eyes closed exactly, but soon I was seeing darkness, feeling unnaturally frozen.

And then I heard something, however faint it was. It was a voice, hard, cold, controlling. It was a voice I knew, and it was obviously a voice Aidou knew.

"Aidou." It said. And that was all it needed to say.

In an instant, the vampire that was towering over me moved away, and the ice, that felt like it was apart of me, coursing through me, turned into a smouldering pile of water. I sank to my knees without the support, dizzy and nauseous, breathing in deeply because I could feel again. Everything had returned.

"Kaname-sama!" Aidou gasped. "Kaname-sama, I-"

I hadn't been looking at them then, I had only focused on the ground, trying to keep myself from vomiting. But I heard the hard strike, almost like a piece of hard metal were striking rock. When I looked up, Aidou's face was turned to the side, and Kaname, with his hand still raised, was glaring at him --if you could call such a deathly, hollow look a glare. Just that made my blood turn back into ice.

"We will speak of this later." Kaname said, his voice like liquid fire. "Get lost."

"Yes, Kaname-sama." Aidou dipped his head, and raised a hand to his breast. "Forgive me."

And he left, rather quickly. I watched until I could see him no more, and then slowly looked towards my saviour. Susan's mind eraser.

"That was unpleasant." He said. His face had become barely anything again, like the emotions had just been stripped away completely. But those eyes, having them on me, it felt like the weight of the world was coming down, over and over and over again, squashing me, until I was just a miserable insect, twitching and bloody beneath a boot.

I tried to stand up, with the tree as a support. I nodded to him, not knowing what to say.

"I will report to the Chairman about this." He continued. "If that is alright with you."

I nodded again, not understanding even the simplest of words. I had the right to be scared, and yet all I could feel was a nervousness bubbling in my stomach. Already, Aidou was becoming a dream. Something I couldn't recall fast enough to save. It was only the fear I remembered.

"Are you hurt?"

I did remember that however; the threatening fangs, the lust for blood. Quickly, I slapped a hand to my neck.

How good it felt to move!

And felt around the area. To my luck, there was nothing there. No puncture marks, nothing. I shook my head, breathing out deeply in relief. "Nothing." I assured him in a whisper, mostly talking to myself. "Absolutely nothing." When I met his eyes, I faltered again, and pretended to look around at something else. I found a suitable stone to look at on the ground. "I guess an apology is in order, huh? Well, thanks, you know, for saving my life."

"No…" I heard him say, and when I glanced back at him, the vampire was stepping forward, towards me. Instinctively I braced myself, in case he tried to erase my memory. I felt silly for doing that. If he'd wanted to erase my memory, he would have done it by now, right? I felt his hand against my shoulder, a gentle pressure that made me turned, and then the hand fell to the small of my back and urged me forward, until I was walking. "You shouldn't be out here in the dark. It's dangerous for your kind."

"You don't have to tell me that twice." I muttered. Beside him, it felt strangely uncomfortable. I remembered that night I had punched Kira, how he had walked me to the front door, how I had made a fool out of myself because of this feeling. Almost like I was being crushed. When I tried to look at him again, I couldn't, and instead kept my eyes in front of me, watching where we were headed. "Where are we going?" I asked quietly, unsure if he heard properly.

"You came out here to take a walk. I thought you may want to finish it."

"Ahh…well…uhm…" had I come out here for a walk? Really? It had been more of an escape route. It had been me being reckless, trying to get into trouble, to feel something other than a deep humiliation for fighting back there. "Right…" I lied. "That's exactly what I came out here to do."

"Are the prefects aware that you are out here by yourself?" He asked gently. Like me, his eyes were focused elsewhere.

"Uhm… no." I answered truthfully. With my finger, I scratched my cheek. "I didn't go around the Academy because I knew they would be there. It's smart if you think about it. No one knew I was here…except well… uhh… Aidou." I frowned deeply, not chancing a look in his direction. I felt so idiotic. Why did I have to act like a fool every time someone with more power than I had was around me. Or maybe it was just him, with the Vampiric strength that none of the others seemed to have.

"Ah. Maybe the best idea would be to come with one of the prefects next time." When I looked at him, I noticed the slightly narrower bits to his eyes. "Or maybe not come at all."

"Right…" I muttered. "You know… I didn't mean to come out here at this time. It was just…well, something happened back at the Sun Dorms and I wanted to wait it out a bit. I only really noticed it was night out once I was already far enough away… and I didn't want to go back. Not then at least."

We were getting closer to the sound of the water I had heard back at the tree. Only when our feet struck cobblestone did I realize we were back on one of the routes twisting around the Cross Academy perimeters. The lake expanded out before us, the wind whistling above it. It was shiny like plastic, and the reflection of the sky shivered upon the surface like a painters dream.

"What had happened at the Sun Dorm that had made you run out into the night?" Kaname asked, impassively of course.

"Another fight." I confessed with a shrug. "With that girl that I had sprained my fist on. It was… just about something stupid. Like uhm… about stuff."

If there was a bottom to the lame list, I would be striking right down into the negatives. Why was I telling this vampire what had happened? Why did he even care?

I looked at him finally. The perfection of his features were breathtaking, the dark color of his eyes intoxicating. The aura that wavered from him was powerful and difficult to identify, but it made me squirm. It made me curious.

"But anyway," I said suddenly. "I guess that doesn't matter now." I looked down at the messy turn of my uniform, and began to fix it properly. "What's done is done, right? There's nothing I can really do about it now." A heavy sigh escaped my lips. "I bet tomorrow I'm going to be hearing all about it too. God, Annabelle, why do you have to be so stupid?" My hands were balled into fists at my side, and I brought one hand up to tap violently against my forehead.

Once I noticed I was practically talking to myself, I turned to read his expression. He was just watching me, silently. Measuring me, calculating me, it seemed. Around this guy, I didn't know what to think. What to do, how to act. But there was something, however small, that was able to pry my insides in two, and spill forth everything that was building up there.

I stopped at part of the railing overlooking the lake, and Kaname stopped a bit away from me, his posture straight, mine slumped. Questions re-bubbled inside of me as I leaned my arms against the silver rail, looking out at the horizon of trees spouting up on the other side of the water. If Zero got pissed whenever I brought up vampires, how would Kaname act? He was one of them.

"So…I have questions." I said out loud. I didn't turn to look at him as I continued. "About what you guys are. Well, I mean I know your vampires… but that's the only thing I do know for sure." I shivered at the image of Aidou, leaning over me, fangs exposed. Of Gerald as well. "I've read and heard just about a million myths, but… I guess you can never know the truth about something unless you get it from the source, right?" With my eyes closed, I turned around, listening to the music the water made behind me. "So… yeah… questions."

When I opened my eyes, and I don't really know why, I expected to see Zero's expression. Angry, upset, unnerving. But with Kaname, it was like emotions simply just didn't hold anything. He was expressionless, all except for his eyes. They weren't dangerous, they were a lot softer then that. I remember when he had called me a poor thing back on the town's pathways, and inwardly felt embarrassed. Almost as if he were calling me that again, only this time silently.

"What questions do you have?" He said after a small pause.

Yes.

This was what I wanted, right? Someone who would explain things to me. Everything I wanted to know.

Only now that I had the option to ask away, my mind went completely blank. I hit a brick wall inside my head, and hard, and couldn't seem to call up anything I had thought of, or wanted to know in the past. It was just a furry after image of what those wonders used to be. I chewed my lip absently, while he waited, patiently for me to fish them out.

"Okay, wait." I said. "Alright I got one. So… since your all night creatures, right? Do you guys sleep… you know… in coffins?"

That was a stupid question. Why did I say that? Was it because everything in my head had just turned to mush? Now that someone was going to respond to me, nothing would come out.

I didn't know if Kaname smiled at that. From here, half his face was in shadows. I would usually suspect someone to smile at such a stupid question, but with him, I didn't know what funny meant anymore.

It didn't take long for him to respond. "Just as you do, we sleep in beds." He answered me, in a voice as soft, but as powerful as the wind.

"Right." I nodded. "That's one myth I will never go back to. So next question, and this is probably the most obvious… Do you guys burn in the sun?"

"Our eyes have become accustomed to darkness. As a nocturnal species we come out at night, but we do not burn in the sun."

"Okay! Another myth completely ruined." I tapped my finger to my lips. Thinking, and thinking hard. I just kept running into that same brick wall, over and over and over again. And it was getting frustrating. A few times I opened my mouth to say something, but the thought died on the air, and I was forced to mash my lips together again.

It was about another five minutes before I could successfully glue two thoughts together, and Kaname was still waiting patiently to my luck.

"Do you guys hiss at garlic? I mean, if I were toss garlic at you, would you scream and run away?"

"I doubt any vampire would scream and run away from garlic." He answered apathetically.

"Oh."

And that was it. The end of my questions. Three measly, stupid questions. All of them, I noticed, based off myths I had heard from the years. I sighed, unhappy with myself, and turned back around to face the lake.

I heard the soft tap of shoes, and then saw the white form of Kaname come up beside me. I could have had my chance to speak of Susan, but when I looked at him, with his perfect face looking out over the lake, one of his hands curled around the rail, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I don't know if I was afraid, or if I just couldn't bear the answer.

All I knew was that Susan was no longer with me. Eventually I would have to come to terms with that.

What I should be worrying about now was that I was speaking with a vampire, even when I had just been mercilessly attacked by one. What I should be worrying about is the night, being out here, being food. I should be worrying about the fact that Kaname had tried to take my memories before, and right now he could try it again.

But I wasn't.

Strangely enough, I felt calmer, more composed. My head felt clearer, my problems dispersed. I looked towards Kaname, wondering if he could possibly be the source of this clean feeling. Whether it might be his supernatural power. But I doubted that. He looked too distracted.

We stayed silent for a long time, until, to me, it started to become awkward. The night had already begun to catch up to me, and my eyes felt weak, my body exhausted. The adrenaline had drained, and now I was burning out fast. My mouth opened, and I yawned.

Kaname was staring at me then. I didn't feel as weighed down as I used too. It was still strong and flaring, and I wanted to turn my eyes away and hide myself behind a tree. But he'd actually answered my questions --although stupid they were. He had actually given me some insight on what I was afraid of… and what I was curious about as well.

"Now," He said at last, like a chime of cool, alluring music. "Perhaps we should head back."

"Yeah…" I muttered. "I guess so."

* * *

**So whose happy? I'm happy. Vampire Knight Guilty is upon us, and this is the first time I've updated faster then usual! I'm going to start trying to get one done every week. If not, I give you permission to hunt me down and throttle me.**

**But anyway. I got the pillow from, dun dun dun, ebay! My friend bought it for me!**

**And I'm really glad that some of you are still around to read this. I know I've been taking forever to update, and sometimes I wonder why the heck anyone would stick around after a month of not posting something new. So I thank you guys so much.**

**HOLY! 100 reviews? You see that? See? Wow. That's awesome. I've reached the 100 review mark. That makes me happy to the extreme. After all, I continue this fanfic for my entertainment, and for yours.**

**As for some grammar errors... erm...yeah. I have this problem with re-reading things. I'll try to edit, but then fail miserably. My friend said she'd edit for me... but she's a dumbface and forgets too. **

**Okay, so, I hope you enjoyed this one. I think we needed some more Aidou in there. So I made an Aidou, Kaname soup. Who doesn't want that? **

**R&R.**

**Stay tuned. **


	17. Prefect

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or its characters. I do however own Annabelle Locke.**

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen.**

It was strange.

Very strange.

Way too strange for me to even measure the amount of strangeness I felt staring at it. I had to squint to make sure it wasn't an illusion; I had to reach out and stroke the fine glass to make sure that my body wouldn't go _through_ it. And when I pulled myself back, knowing that it was real, I had to gawk and wince at the strangeness of it actually existing.

"…Yuuki?" I said in a whisper.

The girl was at my side in a second, having come from the group of students behind me, who were all listening to the tour guide, bored and inattentive.

"Yes, Annabelle. What is it?" She responded.

"What the hell is this?"

"Uhm…"

"Can I ask you a question?" I slowly raised my hand to the golden frame again, and stroked along the elegant spiralling metalwork. The actual frame was about two meters tall, and five meters long, taking up most of the white wall behind it. And inside were a thousand and one inscriptions, of tiny, multi formulas. All of them having do to with--

"How the hell… no… why the hell would they build a museum for mathematics?" I muttered, barely able to comprehend what the builders and designers were thinking. Who in their right mind would come to a place like this? Maybe the stereotypical nerd might, but any other _real_ human being would, most likely, run screaming from this place.

That's what I wanted to do: scream and run. And I bet I stood for everyone when I thought about doing that.

It had all started on the following Monday --this Monday to be exact-- after the Saturday night I had met Aidou in the Academy woods. Mr. Yamato had scheduled it with the Chairman awhile back, and was given the privilege to choose which day he would send us here. I guess since everyone had started dropping in their marks, he wanted us to see the specialty of having mathematic in our lives, and sent us all to this museum --on an elegant school bus that my neighbourhood back home wouldn't even consider using from their standard chipping-yellow-painted boxes on wheels. So here we were.

Well, here I was, looking over some flaking sheet of pristine paper tucked away inside a golden frame, while everyone else listened to the boring, monotonous tour guide. The boy was clearly a newbie. I couldn't even stand to listen to him. Fortunately for us students, Mr. Yamato had gone searching for something he remember back when he was younger. Some old mathematics book they used in the 1900's. He hadn't come back yet, so the students were slowly, one by one, gliding away from the guide and expanding outwards to look --boringly I might add-- at the things on the walls and on the marble stands.

I turned back to Yuuki once I had had my share of the old mathematical functions, and frowned. "I didn't think you'd be doing horribly in Math. Aren't you prefects supposed to be top notch?"

"Uhm…" The girl placed her hand behind her head, and looked up towards the ceiling. "I have to stay up at night." She explained. "That means I usually sleep during classes."

"Ouch." I muttered. "That sucks. You must be on Mr. Yamato's hit list or something."

We both walked to the next exhibit. It was a small stand with, of course, another numerical equation written down on some scrap of paper they used a long time ago. I only gave it a glance, before moving on.

"Yeah. He shouts a lot." She was saying, and then raised a hand to scratch at her cheek.

"And math sucks."

Yuuki smiled and nodded in agreement.

I hadn't spoken to her in days, so I was kind of surprised that I was doing it now. It was probably because Kohana had flitted away to look at something somewhere, and also because I didn't really want to talk to her about what had happened that night, so I subconsciously stayed away. But it was still strange to speak to Yuuki so normally, especially since we were both aware that I knew the secret of Cross Academy's infamous Night Class. And that she had answers to questions I might have had.

As I had expected that Saturday night, after the fight, the rumours had spread rapidly, like a tidal wave on steroids. Almost every student in the school board was aware of what went down that night. Or aware of what they were told: an embroidered truth. Supposedly what had happened was that I went psycho when Kira apologized to me for her mistakes, and started beating on her. To get away from my deranged assault, Kira had fought back to protect herself, and in the end she inevitably won the fight.

Even so, what angered me the most was now that Kira had been made out to be the angel, I was the one receiving all the glares and whispers. After all, I was the new girl arriving from a ghetto. Why wouldn't I be stereotypically targeted to start everything because of the way I was brought up?

A heavy sigh escaped my lips, just as the two of us moved around a corner and entered another hallway. Just like the one the tour guide was still in, this hall was also filled to high heaven with mathematical things. You never realize how much you hate something until you've seen the museum dedicated to it.

"Uhm…uhm…"

I turned to see Yuuki, head down, trying to find words.

For a moment I waited to see if anything would come out, and once it didn't, I asked, "What is it?"

"Annabelle…" She looked up at me, a troubled expression about her. I waited, but another silence followed. Then she dropped her head and sighed. "Nothing."

"Right. Well, anyway, what I was getting at was a question." There was a piece of old wallpaper stuck behind a painting that caught my attention for a second. "Does Zero tutor you too?"

After Saturday, I had met Zero in class the following morning. Even though I was exhausted from the night before, I knew that Mr. Yamato wouldn't forgive me if I skipped. Zero had been late again, which had sent my mood so far down that there was no real point in trying to get it back. So the rest of the session had had minor talk, and more glares then usual.

"Yes." Yuuki nodded. "He teaches me when I need help. Although," She put a finger to her lips, and then laughed nervously. "That's usually right before we have a test."

"Ah, right. You're a procrastinator too huh?"

She didn't respond, but she did laugh again.

It was awkwardly silent after that. Or really, I was awkwardly silent. Yuuki was fine just talking about small things, like school work or sometimes she would even begin to talk about a night patrolling around the gardens, but unlike her, I was just tagging along because there was no one else to talk too. That was until we came across Zero, who had somehow managed to beat us to the next hallway --the tour guide was just coming around the corner behind us-- and he was leaning casually against the wall, with his eyes closed.

"I know we're all tired, but at least we have the power to keep our eyes open." I muttered as I passed him.

His eyes opened and he glared.

"Zero, napping is against the rules." Yuuki pointed out, raising a finger to him.

"I'm not napping." He growled, pushing her finger away.

"It looks like you were to me." I said, and just for the hell of it I leaned against the wall beside him, and nudged him gently in the ribs with my elbow. I lowered my voice to a whisper. "But just between you and me… the wall isn't exactly comfortable. Perhaps you would have better luck finding a bench of some sort?"

"I wasn't napping." He repeated, colder this time.

I shrugged and said nothing. But I did wink just to push his buttons tighter.

"Enjoy the museum, Zero!" Yuuki said, grabbing onto his sleeve and tugging it at the elbow. "You're the one always lecturing me about how I stink at math. But you don't seem to care about any of this either."

"That's because he's an idiot." I responded, even though she wasn't exactly speaking to me.

Zero grunted and pushed off the wall. He started walking forward, without a reply, both hands in his pant pockets. And without realizing it, the both of us followed him, as if he were the new tour guide. He didn't stop until we were in an open room, the floors and walls made of marble. Plastered in every direction was math things, and in the center, on a pedestal-like object, was a few old math text books in glass. Mr. Yamato, who I hadn't seen all morning, was slinking over them in order to get a better look. He glanced up when we came into the room, and smiled welcomingly.

"My," He started saying, wiping a hand across his forehead which was beaded with sweat. "I've been here a long time. How are you guys enjoying the museum?"

"It stinks." I stated bluntly. "I don't like math. And I can't seem to get my head around why someone would build a place like this."

The teacher chuckled. "It is fascinating once you really get interested in it. You do know that mathematics is universal?" He stepped around the pedestal and came up to us. "If you were to believe in, let's say, extraterrestrials, I'm sure you'd find them using their own form of mathematics."

Disagreeing, I shook my head. "Math is a human creation." I declared. "We created it. End of story. Everything else is just theories."

"Perhaps lots of things are theories, but just think about it for a second. How are we able to find the exact area of a triangle with just a few numbers? Or a circle, or a rectangle? The same applies to many things outside of our planet, Annabelle."

"Ah, you're a major brain fryer." I complained, and just for a dramatic effect placed a hand to my head. "Well whatever. I just don't like it. I don't care if a bunch of aliens use it or not. I for one will never be fond of the little numbers and letters."

Mr. Yamato merely grinned at me, and then turned his eyes a way. "And how are you finding it, Yuuki? Do you like it here?"

The girl snapped up like a rubber band, and nodded her head vigorously. "Uh, yes, very much."

Slowly, I revolved my head to her. _Traitor_.

"Good." Mr. Yamato was pleased. "And you, Zero?"

Zero grunted, and when I turned to take a look at him, he was leaning casually against another wall, hands in pant pockets, and he was looking away uninterested.

"Right." Mr. Yamato said.

"Just ignore him." Yuuki muttered.

"He's an idiot." I insulted.

"I'm right here." The silver haired prefect glared at the back of our heads. "I can hear you."

"Thanks for pointing out the obvious, genius." I mumbled sarcastically.

For an instant everything went still, and then Zero shifted with a growl. Yuuki was the first to leave my side, and when I whirled around, bewildered, I saw her restraining Zero by the arm, which he had poised in a fist.

Was he going to hit me?

"Zero calm down! Calm down!" Yuuki shouted frantically, leaning her weight far enough away from him that she could stop the tensed fist from extending.

I don't think Zero had tried to hit me, really. It was more of a quick shift to intimidate someone, I think. After all, although Zero was a jerk, I was pretty sure he knew the boundaries of hitting someone in front of a teacher.

I scowled and raised my fist to him too.

"Ah, Annabelle!" Yuuki added hastily, trying to quell an anger I was simply portraying. "Stop Annabelle, Zero…"

"Nah, I'm fine." I responded quietly, and shook my fist dramatically at the silver-haired boy. "But if this loser tries to smack me again, I will beat his ass."

He grunted and un-tensed. "Stop bugging me." He said simply; a command. And shrugged his arm away from Yuuki's touch. "I'm fine." He told her.

"Now, how is it that you two just won't get a long? I thought the tutoring sessions would surely help the relationship." Mr Yamato chided us with an amused expression about him. Slowly, he shook his head. "I'm so disappointed."

"It's like a tutoring session from hell." I admitted. Although I was aware of Zero's resentment towards me, I walked up to him and gently patted him on the shoulder. Perhaps it was just my way to further complete my death wish. "He's a good tutor, yes, but he sucks." I shrugged, and mocked a frown. "Like really badly."

"Annabelle!" Yuuki responded quickly, appalled at my insults. I could see she was readying herself for another quick save in case Zero tried to football tackle me. But he didn't say anything, he merely glared and moved away from me.

I wondered how many times I would successfully be able to insult him without him taking a knife to my throat. For some reason I knew that count was very, very low.

"Anyway," I began again, turning back to Mr. Yamato. "I wanted to ask you a question." Hopefully he would say yes and agree with me here. However, at the moment, with the tension between me and Kohana, which sprouted from absolutely nothing, I wondered if it was the best idea. I paused as he waited, patiently for me to speak, and bit my lip. "Uhh…No, never mind. Zero's a good enough tutor." I lied with a shrug.

It felt wrong to suddenly try and change tutors now. I didn't think Kohana was up for the job anymore, so there really was no point. I glanced over at the male prefect, who was watching from a little ways a way, and sighed. I was stuck with him.

"Well then," Mr. Yamato rubbed his hands together. "Shall we go find the rest of my class? I feel a little guilty leaving them alone."

"And you should. That tour guide is boring." I admitted, and Mr. Yamato smiled.

"Yes." He agreed. "It seems we got the wrong one."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lunch came very slow that day. By the time it did arrive, all I could think of was little numbers and fractions. And it wasn't an intentional thing either. The tour guides had managed to squeeze us into a clean lunch room --because the others were being swept and vacuumed now-- and we all sat around two long tables. Seeing as this morning I had been tired and unaware of the fieldtrip, I had forgotten to pack a lunch.

Yuuki was sitting beside me, and Zero beside her. He didn't talk much, but Yuuki, while she pulled out an extremely good looking egg sandwich, was chatting about a shopping trip she went on with this girl named Yori. A blonde girl who, halfway through lunch time, came up to Yuuki and asked to squeeze in. She was a strange girl --not gregarious like Kohana. She was more or less similar to Susan: reserved in that creepy way, emotionless at times. But unlike Susan, this friend of the prefects was not completely shy, a character trait I was used to seeing around my old friends in my old neighbourhood.

I didn't stay long after that. Kohana had been waving at me from the other table, and besides, Yuuki and Yori were talking, and Zero wasn't talking. What else could I have done to demolish my boredom? I might as well get the two of us sorted out now than later on.

I heard the whispers as I stood up and made my way to her table. Ever known when someone was talking about you? It wasn't the myth of sneezing --because I didn't sneeze- but from the corner of my eyes I could see the looks. I could hear the gossip, and _knew_ what they were saying as if they were whispering it in my ears. It was about me, about Kira, about the fight she supposedly won.

And I knew that whatever chance I had about making a good impression on the student body before, was now just a smouldering pile of ash at my heels.

I didn't glance around at the voices to see who was saying them. I just kept my eyes focused ahead of me, at Kohana. She smiled weakly at me. But I didn't smile back. I felt like someone had just turned up the heat inside my body. The humiliation was throbbing.

"Hey." She greeted. "Come sit." With a nudge to the spot beside her, she scooted over to allow me space.

I didn't take it.

"Actually, let's take a walk." I suggested, cupping my hand around her upper arm. "I want to talk."

"That doesn't sound too good."

"It's not."

Kohana turned to a girl she was sitting beside and whispered something inaudible to her; the girl nodded. Then Kohana packed up her lunch and stood up, weaving expertly over the lunch table's bench.

"Alright." She said, holding onto her purple lunch box. "Where do you want to go to talk?"

"Uhm…" I glanced around. "I have no idea. But we'll find something."

Kohana nodded and , although it was slightly awkward, we both began to walk around the tables. It wasn't the kind of awkwardness you feel when you're uncomfortable with someone. It was more or less the awkwardness you feel when you both have something on your mind, but you just don't want to say it first.

I wanted to talk to her about what happened last Saturday. I'm sure she had a whole bundle of questions wrapped up for me. But, alas, she said nothing.

"Want to go to the bathroom then?" I said at last. We were making our way around Zero's and Yuuki's table. The lunches lain out against the wood made my stomach turn. I hadn't eaten anything in the morning either, and I just realized how extremely hungry I was. But, I didn't want to be rude and ask someone else for a bite, so I had to suck it up and turn my eyes a way.

Halfway down the table was Mr. Yamato, who was speaking to one of the female tour guides that had been leading another class from a different school. Those students had left at the lunch mark; Cross Academy was the only student body left in the math museum, aside from a few elders who travelled like languid snails across the carpeted floors, viewing all their ancestral mathematical history.

"Looks like he's hitting on someone." Kohana pointed out.

"Doesn't he have a wife?"

A frown formed on her lips. "Not anymore. He was away for a month last year because his wife divorced him for someone else." She shrugged, and a small sigh sifted from her lips. "Things happen like that though. We just gave him a bunch of flowers when he returned."

"Ah." Was my response. "That sucks."

I didn't really want to bug him after that. Everyone deserved to flirt a little. And besides, it did look like they were having a good time --in the creepy sense of old people getting a long. The lady looked to be in her late thirties, with short auburn hair and just a little bit of eye shadow. Compared to Mr. Yamato, with his balding head of hair, the wrinkles beneath his eyes, she looked good. But, I guessed that, although some people may not be better looking than others, it really centered about their personality. Unfortunately, for me, I was one of those media hounds. After seeing so many hot bodies plastered before my eyes, the chance of me dating someone below average was very slim.

Shame on me.

"Hey, Annabelle." Kohana caught my attention by poking me in the arm. I looked at her and she smiled. Not a friendly smile, an amused smile. Something creepy and uncomfortable.

"What?" I asked, cautious.

"Zero's looking at you." She winked.

"Huh?"

"Zero. He's staring at you." She repeated, flicking her head softly in the direction in front of us.

I looked instinctively and caught the prefects eyes. Like bright gems lodged into the ground, they stared back. But, it wasn't the kind of look I was expecting from the way Kohana explained. It wasn't an inviting, charming gaze --As if Zero could even produce such a look. It almost made me laugh to even consider the possibility--, it was a steady and hard glare. Almost like, if I turned around at that very second, I would see a ghost behind me.

It made me cautious, frantic. I glanced both ways quickly --the table at one side, a potted plant upon an intricate oak table on the other--, then back at him, and questioned him with a look.

Zero stood up, causing Yuuki to turn from Yori and get to her feet too. Her lips moved, but I couldn't hear what she was saying. All I could see was Zero's eyes.

"Annabelle?" Kohana said from beside me. I managed to break the staring contest and, although cold swirls were ricocheting off my bones, turn my attention to my friend. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothing." I lied. "I think Zero's just a little insane."

"What?"

"Nothing." I repeated.

"Annabelle, are you okay?"

"Yes." I said again, bewildered. "You just asked me that."

"Annabelle… I don't understand what you're saying." I could hear the concern in her voice this time, and raised an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?" I questioned. "Am I not speaking English?"

Kohana looked behind her, and I followed her eyes. The table that we were beside had fallen quiet.

And they were staring at me. All of them were.

A strong confusion sizzled in my stomach. What was going on?

When Kohana turned back to me, her face had become leached of color. "You look really pale." She said.

"I'm always pale." I responded cautiously.

"Annabelle stop!" Kohana moved forward, and put a hand to my arm. This close to her, I could see a blatant worry in her eyes. I didn't understand it at the time. "Why are you slurring your words?"

Slurring? Who was slurring?

"What?" I muttered. I could feel my heart now, singing in my ears. I turned, almost frantically, towards the prefects, for some reason thinking they had something to do with what was happening. Yuuki and Zero were just staring, but what made my eyes widen was not that both of them _were_ catching my eyes as well, but that around them the world was a hazy bur of distorted colors. With the one flick of my head, my vision had escaladed into something like a dream. My legs felt weak, my knees trembling.

I tried to catch a breath, but couldn't feel it. Then I saw the prefects moving closer, the teacher behind them, and heard a shrill wail from beside me. Although it was also distorted, like a glass sheet had been placed around me, I knew it was Kohana's.

Shit, I thought.

Shit, shit, shit.

My legs buckled and I stumbled to my right, feeling the force of the wall strike my shoulder. I tumbled forward, dizzily unaware of what I was doing, and struck something. It jiggled and collapsed under me, and I heard a faint smash and a small silky pain lace up my arm.

The next thing I knew I was seeing black.

---------------------------------------------------

I could hear a rustling around me, faint but hurried. The voices were loud, getting louder, louder, until I wanted to cover my ears. They were calling for someone, and after a minute I realized that they were calling _my_ name. My eyelids felt glued shut, and I brought my hand up with effort to rub at one of them. The voices fell silent, and slowly, very slowly, I wrenched my eyes awake.

The first thing I saw was my hand, and the dark black smudge against the skin.

Shit. I just had to touch the make up.

The next thing I saw was a black fabric, and could feel the black fabric against my body, and something hard beneath it. It came clear to me that after I raised my head a little, it turned out to be a school uniform. The person it cloaked was, of course, non other than the prefect that had been staring at me from afar. His eyes were, as usual, annoyed. I didn't doubt that he was pissed off that somehow I had managed to knock him straight to the floor.

Speaking of which, I groaned and looked to the side. Lots of students were on their feet. Yuuki was crouched down with Mr. Yamato and Kohana. All of them were asking me questions, but I didn't answer any of them. I didn't understand any of them.

I looked back at Zero, his silver hair feathering around him like a halo. I briefly wondered how I could have knocked this guy down. I wasn't that tall. I also wondered why he wasn't pushing me away the instant I had driven him to the dirty floor.

The edges of my vision were still blurry like someone had taped bubble wrap around the corners, and time seemed to move at a frozen speed. But I was used to it, and completely cursed myself for allowing it to happen again. The iron deficiency thing hadn't popped up for awhile, since the last time it happened at the Night Class gates, where I had helplessly vomited until my stomach was throbbing, I expected that to be about it. But, I hadn't eaten anything since yesterday, which wasn't a lot, and I hadn't taken my iron pills since two months ago, one month prior to being sent to Cross Academy.

It was my fault in the end.

"Ow…" I murmured, finally hearing the dull tone to my voice. A small ribbon of pain twisted uncomfortably in the palm of my hand, and I raised it up to view what had caused it. A very thin streak of red ran from my thumb to my pinkie, and blood was blossoming up slowly. "Fuck." I cursed, and heard someone yell for a bandage.

The blood dribbled down the crevice of my thumb, and a single drop found its way to the floor beside Zero's head, like a tiny, distant drop of scarlet. It wasn't hard to figure out how I had cut myself. The evidence was in plain sight. Fragments of a blue ceramic pot were littering the floor, sparkling and unmoving. I must have fallen over the wooden table, and cut myself on the smashing pot when Zero, who I glanced at now, must have tried to catch me. That was the only reasonable explanation I could come up with.

"Sorry." I whispered.

I noticed he was staring off, not at me anymore, and I followed to what his attention was drawn too. It was my hand, which was now just a little messier than before. At first I didn't notice a change in him, which I should have because I was practically laying on top of him, but before I knew it, I realized that his chest was moving far more rapidly then before. It was like he was hyperventilating. And his eyes, wider and wider, were focusing on the small streams of blood drooling down my fingers.

"Zero?" I managed. "Zero, what's wrong?"

A groan came from the inside of his throat, and he openly began to breathe. Each intake of oxygen whistling in and out of his throat. He was panting. And there was an uncomfortable fear in his eyes that froze me stone cold.

"Zero!" Yuuki shouted, moving around to his head.

His body tensed, each muscle rippling, and before I knew it, before I could counter myself for the attack, Zero's hands were grabbing onto my shoulders, forcing me back with such an intensity that all I could do was gasp and fall. My back collided with the floor, my stinging hand flinging out behind me. Zero was up on his two feet before I knew it, holding onto his throat, breathing heavily. He turned, with Yuuki clinging to his arm, and stalked off. No, he _ran_ off. Almost like he couldn't stand another second being where he was.

I watched, aghast at his reaction, until both prefects disappeared from sight.

A heat rushed into my left arm, and I looked quickly, dazed, to find Kohana placing a reassuring hand on my skin. A kid had returned with a rolled up piece of fabric, which Mr. Yamato took into his own hands and unrolled. I glanced back at the place that Zero and Yuuki left through: an open framed door.

That was strange. I couldn't even comprehend what had just happened. Although, I wasn't the only one to notice; even though Kohana's voice was muffled as if I wore a pair of earmuffs, I could hear her cursing Kiryuu for his actions.

"It's okay Annabelle." She said. "He's just a jerk."

A jerk maybe, but that was just… strange.

A wave of nausea struck me then, and I buckled over and clutched at my stomach, ripping my hand away from Mr. Yamato --who had just snatched it up and had begun to layer it with a bandage. Kohana spoke rapidly; all things distorted by another strong haze. I barely had enough time to look at my hand again, but now the blood was smeared across my palm, and a pang rang through me like a pair of fish swimming through a current.

It was so red. So bright.

I hadn't even realized I had lost unconsciousness again; all I could see was the bloody hand.

-----------------------

__

It was cold, so very, very cold. I was standing alone, walking, beginning to walk, wandering. The darkness was eternal, capturing me at both sides, consuming me into its depths. There was one path and I follow it, with rocks imbedded at its sides. It is my favourite path, it is what I walk down all the time. The coldness is biting me, I feel it wounding me slowly. But it is beautiful, and I breathe it in and devour it. The fog that escapes my lungs is purple, dark. It swirls up and up, until it gets high enough, and then it disappears slowly, leaving but an after image of what its patterns had been.

A light flickers in front of me, and I sway. But I've seen this light before, so I follow it. I feel comforted by it; it is my friend, it is my blood, it is me. There is a bench when I get far enough, an empty bench that stretches for a mile. Half of it is in light, the other half is engulfed in the darkness. I don't like the dark, so I sit in the light. I am waiting for someone. I don't know who, but I know that this is what I came here to do.

It doesn't take long. She shows up like she was supposed too. She is beautiful, a perfect image of me, if not more so tamed. She is just as I remember her to be, if not more perfect. Her eyes are like mine; they are bright blue, a turquoise oceanic mixture. I love those eyes. I put my fingers under my right eye, but she takes my hand and places it on her cheek. I smile. She doesn't. But her eyes are warm, and that's all that matters. The coldness is coming from her skin.

"Come with me." She says. Her voice is like a thousand waves and a thousand winds. It is like the earth itself. "My darling, my love, my sweetheart. Will you come with me?"

There is no thinking about my decision. I have made my choice. I had made it a long time ago, somehow. This is what I want. "Yes." I whisper. "I will go with you."

And she smiles.

If I could do one thing differently, I would have taken those iron pills. It wasn't necessarily that I had to take them if I didn't want too, and at those times I hadn't wanted too, but after going through the fainting and the stomach aches of being anaemic, sometimes you have to realize that you aren't exactly invincible. Especially when your head is throbbing and your stomach an easing pain.

I had woken up with a start about ten minutes back. I knew I had had a dream, but I couldn't really remember what it had been about. All I remembered was that I was cold. And for good reason too. The infirmary at Cross Academy wasn't exactly a toasty warm, and the blankets that had been thrown on me were crumbled up at my feet; a sign that I had been tossing and turning.

It felt rather strange to be at one place first, and then another completely different the next. It was a disorienting feeling, and it made me confused. Mentally I knew that I had fainted, and that clearly I was out long enough for them to load me up and bring me here, but although the facts were straight, my body still thought that I was somewhere else entirely, and every time I glanced around I would wonder where I was again.

Thankfully I wasn't hooked up to any IV. And I checked thoroughly to make sure. My hand was bandaged, a white fabric crisscrossing over the cut. It smelled like alcohol too.

The windows were closed and covered with a thick curtain, so, gradually making my way out of bed at a slow, exhausting pace, I opened them up. It wasn't surprising that it was dark out. Usually when I fell unconscious I was out like a light for hours at a time. This hadn't been the first incident I'd been involved in. When I was younger I had been playing dolls with a friend, and like what had happened here, had basically occurred there as well. My vision had blurred, and then I remembered waking up in a hospital with my grandmother flitting around me like some drugged up bird.

I sighed, and a puff of air clung to the window, making it turn opaque. The coldness sank into my forehead as I leaned in and pressed my head to the window. Although I was cold --Goosebumps had risen on my arms-- it felt refreshing to just stay there like that. No matter how small, it helped the pain in my head. It calmed me.

Unfortunately I couldn't hold that serenity for long.

"Annabelle-chan!"

I whirled, bracing myself for what that additional part of my name meant. But, when I saw the Chairman standing in the doorway, with his mouth opened, I calmed instantly, almost as if someone had just leached away all the potential caution. It wasn't Aidou, thank god.

"Annabelle-chan! Annabelle-chan!" He recited, carrying a warm mug of tea with him into the room. "You should still be resting!"

"I'm fine." I lied.

"Now lay down." He said, ignoring me. "We don't want your health to suffer."

"It's not. I'm fine." Although I was resistant towards his offer, I found myself absently sitting down onto the mattress. "It happens sometimes. I just get dizzy and faint. And the hand is fine. It was just a scratch."

"Here, I have something for you." The Chairman reached into his pale coat, and withdrew a small packet of pills. I didn't have to read the able to know what they were.

Iron pills.

"Thanks."

He slipped them into my hands, and I cradled them impassively, watching as the circular pills tumbled over one another.

"You should be more careful." He insisted. "You gave the math teacher quite a scare."

"I know."

There was a silent pause, and then the Chairman smiled and raised the mug of hot brew. "Would you like me to make you some? I have something I would like to discuss with you."

A cold dread suddenly kicked me in the stomach. I didn't show it, but I felt it. This was about the secret of Cross Academy, wasn't it? He had come to tell me that I wasn't handling it well, and that my mind was to be erased. Shit, I cursed inwardly, watching his smile with caution. I nodded carefully, and he got up and left.

I didn't want my memory erased. I thought I had been dealing with it just fine. I hadn't exactly broken down when Aidou last tried to destroy me, and I was calm when Kaname led me to the lake. Why all of a sudden did the privilege of knowing have to be vanquished? Was I not allowed to talk to the vampires? Had me talking to Kaname jeopardized my memory? Had it been a test that I'd failed?

My heart was like a humming birds wing. It went faster and faster. My forehead was already prickling with beads of sweat. I needed to get out of here, and fast. If the Chairman was going to erase my memory, I had to put up a fight. I wouldn't go down without a struggle.

I slapped a hand to my chest, trying to steady my breathing.

I had to think. I had to beg, maybe, if it came down to it. I had to leave.

Slowly I stood up. Outside was getting colder, and my uniform jacket was folded on a single chair in the right hand corner. I picked it up with one thing in mind: this was going to be my escape.

But I heard a sound coming from the hall. And I knew I was too late. The Chairman was obviously a whiz at making tea, and I hadn't judged how much time it would take for him to finish. Clearly he was done, and I was still here.

I braced myself, terrified, as he came into the room with an extra steaming cup.

"Oh," He said, surprised. "You're up again…what?" Stupidly, he began to look around him, confused by the direct intensity of my gaze. "What are you looking at?"

"Chairman…" I breathed. It was either beg or be at loss. "I'm not--"

"Right, here's your tea." He walked up to me and handed over the hot mug. It felt so good in my hands, and I couldn't help but sip at it instantly, now aware of how thirsty I was. "I want to talk to you."

My head snapped up. "Yeah, about that I--"

"See, now that you know the secret of Cross Academy…" He put his tea down and adjusted his glasses.

"Look, it's really--"

"I wanted to ask you something."

"Chairman, I--"

"And it would be quite an honour if you accepted! You too could be a cute little prefect Annabelle!" The Chairman clapped his hands together and did a queer little twirl.

My mouth dropped, literally, to the floor.

"_A what_?" I choked.

"A prefect." The Chairman became serious again, and pushed at the rim of his glasses; which glared in the light. "It will take a lot of work, and you will lose a lot of sleep, but I believe in you! And Yuuki and Zero will have another partner!" The Chairman smiled.

"No." I said bluntly. Inevitably I felt like a weight had been taken off my shoulders. But there was no way I would be like Zero or Yuuki. No way in hell. "No." I repeated.

The Chairman's face dropped only slightly, but the grin stayed solid. "But you get to wear this!" And he yanked out a circular white arm band --the kind I saw on Zero's and Yuuki's left arm-- and cuddled it against his chest. "It will be so cute."

"No, it won't. I assure you." I shook my head violently, and brought myself back over to the bed. Thankfully this wasn't about my memory being erased, but to be a prefect was like becoming a cop. I couldn't do that. It would be impossible. Besides, I didn't care if Day Class kids flew around the Night Dorms when they weren't supposed too. If they wanted to die by blood drainage, that was completely up to them. But in my opinion, I would rather stay far away. "Why would you even suggest that? You know my past. I'm not someone that listens to rules very well."

He came and sat beside me. "You, Yuuki and Zero are the only ones who know the secret here."

"That doesn't mean I want to prance around at night." I loved my sleep too much to do that.

"I won't force you to do it." The Chairman said, smiling calmly at me. Then he raised the extra white prefect arm band, and cupped it around my left arm. "Oh it would look so good."

"Stop that." I slapped at his hand, and he retreated instantly. "I can't." I admitted. "I would be horrible at it. And besides, I love my sleep way too much."

"You won't know your horrible unless you try."

"It doesn't matter. I just don't want to do it." I raised my hand and rubbed at my forehead. "It's just…not something I'm interested in."

The Chairman lowered his hands into his lap. "I understand." He said, and surprisingly there wasn't any disappointment in his voice. When I looked at him, he smiled at me. "I guess Yuuki and Zero will just have to go without." He stood up then, and placed a hand onto my shoulder. "Get some rest."

I only nodded, and he picked up his tea and made as if to leave. But he stopped in the door frame, and although I wasn't staring at him at the time, I could tell he was looking back over his shoulder.

"How are things going?" He asked, seriously this time.

"Good." I admitted; it wasn't a lie. I felt like I was actually getting over my paranoia. The lies of this world, the lies people were still subjugated too. It was like the government knowing all, and the people knowing nothing. I was just one of those few who actually understood something, and although it was depressing, I felt special. Slowly, a smile moved my lips. "No." I said. "It's going just great."

* * *

**I hate Art. My teacher is packing me with paintings and sketches and more paintings.** **I've come close to setting them on fire. **

**Anyway, it seems Annabelle hates the idea of becoming a prefect. I personally would be jumping for joy. Mmm, vampires. Me loves them. But oh well.**

**I watched Saw 5. It was alright. There was some bone coming out of an arm ect. It was gross, but, which Saw movie isn't gross? I just felt like telling you guys that because well.... because I can. I'm too cool for school. **

**Cha!**

**R&R pwease!**


	18. Halloween

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or its characters. I do however own Annabelle Locke.**

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen**

What was the definition of an Angel? It was a godly being, a divine being. It served the goodness of a person's heart, and gave people hope. Did I do that to people? Was I an angel to some bum on the street because I threw him a penny? No, I wouldn't imagine that. So then what kind of angel was I? Could I even be considered as an angel with all my problems? With the golden halo, the thick white feathery wings, the beautiful white flowing dress that reached almost right down to your angels? No, I definitely couldn't picture myself as one of those.

However, I was, unfortunately, staring at one. Not an angel to be exact, but a replica of an angel. A spoof of a human made angel, staring straight back me with her turquoise eyes, and long black wavy hair, that reached just below the chest in small loopy swirls. And she was beautiful, in my opinion, with the black eyeliner and the pale lips, with the long flowing dress. But, after but a moment of seeing the image, I turned away from the mirror in resentment. Not because I despised the look, but because suddenly I wasn't so sure if it suited me well.

I wasn't good.

I couldn't fit the role of perfection.

"Kohana. I can't do this." I admitted weakly, barely able to look back at myself. Afraid I may see the fear in my eyes.

"Yes. You can." A zombie version of my former friend stated as she placed a reassuring hand on my back. She turned me easily, until I was looking back at the angelic replica of me. "You look great. I knew my old costume would fit. All you need is the wings." She moved back, away from me, and left to fetch something inside her closet. When she came back, there were medium-sized feathery bundles in her arms, and she unfolded them to show me the wings. "Here." She said, prying off a loose feather. "They are falling apart. But you get the point. No one will notice anyway." And she smiled, widely, exposing all white and black teeth. "We'll be staring at the Night Class instead. Oh, I wonder what Ichijou will be dressed as. Last year he was a magician. You should have seen everyone when he pulled out a Rose from his sleeve and gave it to Fera Donson." The last bit was emphasized in spite, but I said nothing as Kohana loaded the wings onto my back. They were clearly made of cardboard.

Surprisingly, it was the end of October. It seemed things had gone by fast in the last month. I had arrived in August, met the Night Class and realized that they were a bunch of hungry vampires, and received extensive tutoring sessions from Zero. Early September I had fainted from the anaemia, and Cross had proposed I be a prefect. Well, since I hated authority, I did deny it. And I hadn't spoken about it since. I had only seen the Chairman once in the last month, and that was because he wanted to ask if I was going to partake in the Halloween dance --which was today-- and update me on my marks. They weren't the best, but since Zero had been spending his weekends with me in the Academy, they were improving in the Math department. The Chairman had even suggested that Zero help me with other classes, but I refused, not wanting to have anything else to do with the silver haired prefect.

I still didn't quite understand the frantic action he had taken when I'd fallen on the last school trip either. I kind of wondered sometimes about it, but, eventually, I came to the conclusion that Zero was one of those people. You know, the kind that get all hot around the sight of blood. It did explain a lot. He had been staring at my hand at the time, and he panicked. He clearly had issues in that department. But I did note that I should try not to bleed around him often, or else he would get sick all over the place. And we didn't want that.

I didn't know what else was wrong with him though. After the incident he avoided me more in the tutoring sessions. He talked far less, and whenever I glanced at him, he would turn away like I was something disgusting and stare at the wall. Once Mr. Yamato came back into the room, and he got up and zoomed out of there like there was no tomorrow. I couldn't even catch up with him if I tried.

Also, I had gone to one of the after school gatherings by the Night Class gates with Kohana. While she obsessed over Ichijou, I watched Kaname. Not because I was infatuated, but because I was fascinated. There was a difference. But, he only glanced for a second, and turned away to say his ritual hello to Yuuki Cross, who stuttered and bowed like a loose pack of potatoes. And then I had greeted Zero, and he had ignored me with a grunt.

Things weren't that great. They were awkward and secretive, and it confused me. I already knew the big whooping punching bag of Cross Academy. What else was there to hide? They weren't going to spring me on the whole 'Werewolves are real too' were they?

"Hello. Earth to Annabelle?"

I realized that Kohana was waving her hand in front of my eyes, and blinked.

"Sorry." I apologized. "It's pretty." For her amusement, I did a little waver of my hips, so that the dress willowed at my feet. "I like it. Although… the wings are a little uncomfortable." I tucked my thumbs beneath the elastic straps around my shoulders, and snapped them.

"You can take them off when you get tired of them. Just don't leave them around. I don't want someone to take them." She said, squeezing in beside me to apply an extra layer of white make-up to her face.

"I didn't know people stole in this school." I admitted, walking into the bathroom to fix up my eyeliner. My eyes were coated more than usual, now with white eye shadow instead of gold or green, or some neon color. It brought out the turquoise of my iris's, and matched with the strapless dress, which billowed like a cloud at my hips. It looks more like a white princess dress. And I didn't usually like wearing dresses.

"Well, they don't normally." Kohana informed me. "But I mean, sometimes people do get tempted. All I'm saying is just don't leave them around. They probably won't get stolen, but I just don't want to take that chance."

"Worry-wart."

When Kohana joined me in the bathroom, with all her ghoulish appeal, she elbowed me in the ribs. "No. I'm just being cautious."

"You're being paranoid."

"Oh shush." She flipped her hair and sprayed on a great load of hairspray. But since I was used to coating my own hair in the stuff, I didn't run out screaming and gagging and complaining like a million others I had done it in front of. Kohana's hair was a raggedy mess when she flipped it back up and over her shoulders. I was surprised she hadn't picked out a wig instead. "So," She began, eyeing me through the mirror, a deep humour riveting through her. "Who do you plan to dance with tonight?"

"Dance? I thought we were all just going to slug around aimlessly." I finished up fixing the eyeliner, and applied more foundation until I looked plastic. That's the way I liked it. It made me feel like one of those photo-shopped models in magazines. Her mouth frowned and her eyes narrowed, and I laughed because it looked funny. "I'm kidding. Although, since you are a zombie, it would make sense."

"Stop trying to be funny." She murmured venomously. "Unless you want me to eat your brains."

"Yeah right." I chuckled, running my finger down her cheek. The point of my index finger was caked in white make-up as I pulled back, and she had a small peachy line from the top of her cheek to her chin. "You're about as much of a real zombie as I am the president of the United States."

"Annabelle!" Kohana complained, whipping around towards the mirror, checking the damage. "Ugh, look what you did! I don't have much more of this white face paint left!"

I shrugged, washing my finger off beneath the faucet. "I'm sure you have enough. It was just a line."

"You better hope I do." There was a blubbering sound as Kohana squeezed the plastic bottle. "Or the angel is going straight to hell."

----------------------------------

We left around six that night. And it was pure hell from the start. All I could hear for miles and miles away from the Academy, were squeals. Squeals from the over obsesses girl population, who finally had a chance to interact with the vampire society prospering in our midst. And Kohana was one of them. Even in such a gross costume, she somehow made sexy. With a shorter skirt than usual, or a little more gashes around the chest area. The rest of the girls were a whole variety of things, and lots of them were cats. I never really understood why someone would want to be a cat. I mean, they were cute and all, but, I guess it was just a poor excuse to dress whorishly.

The guy's were everything you could imagine. Unoriginal scream fans, or saw admirers, running down Cross Academy's small pathways, frightening groups of girls.

All along the cobblestone walkways were carved pumpkins, all flickering eerily with their insides spooned out and waxed candles illuminating then from within. And the sky was getting darker and darker, the air much more chillier now. I would have brought a jacket, but I didn't like lugging around the usual package of an evenings night.

Besides, it was being held within the Academy. The home room class with the lowest scores was chosen to decorate all day. It had been our class, of course. But I skipped it because I hated to clean, and because I wanted to sleep in.

"Oh," Kohana said from beside me, just as we stepped out of the Sun Dorm. "I can't wait. I'm so nervous. Ichijou-sempai is going to look gorgeous. And tonight is the night." She clapped her hands together loudly, an enthusiastic emotion leaking across her face. "I'm going to dance with him."

"Are you?" I questioned lightly, wigging the wings on my back around so that they were on just a little more comfortably. I saw another girl dressed as an angel, and she glared at me as we walked by.

"Yes. I am going to ask him."

I knew Kohana was determined, I just didn't believe that she would. Considering how nervous she got around the blonde vampire. Briefly, I wondered what her reaction would be if Ichijou flashed her a small smile, and both of his fangs were exposed.

I shuddered. I just couldn't picture that blonde haired, green-eyed night-walker doing something like that. He was the one that showed no signs of Vampiric origin, other than his striking good looks. Kohana would be safe, I concluded.

Then I could feel the bubbling arise in my stomach as we neared the Academy doors, from within a blood red light streaming through the windows. A fog machine was billowing out smoke to our left, filling our lungs with thick, foul-tasting air. And a skeleton was leaning over the eaves, like it was watching our ever movement.

Would the vampires be impressed with these human decorations?

I doubted they had a taste for this kind of thing. Also, I wondered if the over played fake blood would turn them off their good-vampire acts. This was after all a dangerous time for monsters of all sorts, who fed from human flesh and blood. My stomach rumbled, but not out of hunger. I was actually afraid again. Out of the month that had passed, I thought I had gotten over my fear. But it seemed that I hadn't. It was still hot and thick and streaming through my blood.

I tried to shove it down as we stepped into the Academy, but somehow couldn't manage quick enough. It felt as if I had a permanent frown on my lips, and that my eyes were so round that they were bugging out of their sockets in worry.

Through the overdramatic spider webs and red lights, Cross Academy had actually managed to stay… well, elegant. It wasn't a crummy haunted house like other schools, nor was it actually scary. But it looked interesting, fun, and although I was used to listening to rap songs during a school dance, here they were playing rhythmic instrumentals. It was like a formal version of The Thriller.

Also, you could clearly, without a doubt, decipher who was a vampire and who wasn't. Even the Day Class students who were dressed up as vampires didn't resemble the perfections and cat-like prances that the Night Class held over them. It was like seeing a million dollar costume against a second -hand store version. It was hilarious.

Although, I couldn't contain the mad thumping of my heart within my rib cage. How could no one notice that these creatures of the night were unlike anything humans could ever imagine? I was a fool to not notice that they were different then, but now that I knew, it was hard to think otherwise. Of course they were vampires! They were all so stunning.

"Oh my god!" Kohana squealed from beside me, and took off like a mad rocket into the crowd. I tried to follow her, but failed miserably when a Night Class student walked in front of me and smiled, tipped his top hat, and continued his way through the crowd, knocking me out breathless. It was hard not to just fall and die slowly with these creatures around me. Just a smile was enough to dazzle me speechless. I wondered what I would do if I actually danced with one.

It was hard not to think about that. The floor was very large, so bodies weren't crammed against each other like a hot and sweaty night club. Instead there was space. People were sitting down and talking, drinking red punch that looked like blood from cups, swaying shyly to the music. There were no heavy duty sluts in this school. All of them were almost timidly inclined to dance with someone, and most of the girls waited until one of the guys had the willpower to saunter over to them, take their hand, and ask them the fateful question that would damn them all to hell.

"Will you dance with me?"

I jumped about ten feet into the air, before whirling around automatically, the voice rocking my bones. But there was no need for the heart damage that the voice had inspired. It was just John, a Day Class boy in my science class, with buzzed brown hair. He was dressed up like the joker from batman, a fair choice since the whole batman thing was so strong now' a days. He had his hand raised, a willing smile across his red lips, almost like he was daring me to dance with him.

"I'm sorry. I…don't dance." I lied sheepishly, and made a quick run for it. Kohana had left me by myself, and now I was completely on my own as I reached the edge of the dance floor, where the foods were stacked enticingly on a white and red clothed table. All of the things you could eat were repulsively decorated. Eyeball gumdrops, gummy worms drenched in sweet strawberry sauce --making it look like bloody worms-- and the favourite of the house, ironically, were vampire cookies. I picked one up and looked it over absently. It was just a mouth with fangs, but still it was humorous. I wondered if whoever made them knew that they weren't far off from the truth.

Without a bite, I put it back on the pile, and turned to view the rambunctious crowd of vampires and humans, mixing like oil and water. Some of the Night students were dressed up in fancy costumes, but others had just decided to wear their usual white uniforms. It didn't matter. The human girls still swarmed them like a pack of hungry locusts in a drought. Some Night Class students ventured into the Day Class, dancing with a few madly blushing girls. And others stayed with their own kind.

Above the dance, on the second floor, I caught the Chairman observing with a smile. Perhaps he was making sure nothing happened. Or maybe he was excited that this was the time for the immortals and mortals to mix. After all, Kohana had told me that they were only allowed to be near the Night Class on special events such as these, and I specifically remembered the Chairman saying something about pacifism between vampires and humans.

It was good, I guess. Just as long as nothing tried to drink me dry by the end of the night.

And it didn't take long for an hour to pass by me, and another, with still no Kohana in sight. Now I was sitting on a chair, just watching. A few more guys from the Day Class had asked me to join them on the floor, but I turned them down. I didn't feel like dancing. I kind of felt abandoned.

I didn't think Kohana was one of the girl's that just ditched when something more exciting came up. It made me angry, because here I was alone with no one to talk too, and she was probably having the night of her life. Inwardly I sighed, outwardly I just glared at the floor beneath my heeled feet, which were throbbing from the uncomfortable position of my toes.

Eventually I got up and got myself a glass of red punch, bumping into a glaring Kira who had her eyes fixed on Aidou --he had a ring of girls around him-- and a brooding Seika who was watching the opposite direction, the red-haired vampire Shiki with that blond-haired girl Touya. Kira didn't even notice as I sneaked passed her and back to my seat. Which was a good thing for me. I didn't want to get into a fight tonight. Every time I saw that girl it was like the claws were immediately detached and ready to spring. I wanted to get through this night safe and sound, without any human or vampire permanently stealing my life away.

"Zero?" I asked once I had gotten back to my post. The silver-haired prefect, intentionally not dressed up and still in his school uniform, was leaning against the cobweb infested pillar beside my seat. His arms were crossed, and his eyes focused ahead. I could have mistaken him for a stone wall for all the movement he was making.

His violet eyes rested on me for a short second, acknowledging my greeting, and then were off again, elsewhere. I sat down quietly, and drank from my cup of punch. "So," I said after a minute. "You've been ditched too?"

He didn't answer.

Neither did I. There wasn't really a point. He'd just ignore me and refuse to welcome my presence. Disappointed, I turned back and watched the people on the dance floor revolve around their partners. It was hard to admit that, although I disliked Zero a great deal, right now even his presence was something I craved. But there was nothing I could do if he had solidly decided that I was just a waste of time. With him, it was like running into a solid block of ice over and over and over again. I felt like a stupid fly with a glass panel in front of me.

But I decided to ramble anyway, feeling nervous and small. "Kohana ditched me, that's why I am alone. I don't even know where she is, although I can bet a million bucks that she is fantasising about Ichijou. Or maybe not. She's probably trying her luck with the other ones too --God there are so many zombies, how am I supposed to be able to pin point one of them?" I tried my luck again, and turned to Zero. "How come you're not dressed up? Even I went for the money."

He looked at me, but didn't answer.

"You may act tough, but it doesn't mean you have to give up Halloween to keep that reputation." I finished the punch off, but instead of getting up to put in the trash, I dropped it to the floor behind my chair. "I'm a freaking angel with cardboard wings on my back. You could have done something."

Oh, Zero did do something. He shifted with his hands still in his pockets, and turned away from the pillar. Before he could walk away, I was out of my seat and snatching up the sleeve of his jacket, stopping him in his tracks. He looked around, catching me with one of his wide eyes. And I dropped his arm instantly.

"Don't go." I said over the music, feeling foolish. Then I smiled, just a little. "I don't need someone else to ditch me."

"I was leaving because you were complaining too much." He responded coldly.

"Yeah. Sorry about that." I moved back to my spot. "I'm bored, what can I say? I automatically go on nag mode."

Zero, reluctantly, came back to the pillar, and leaned against it as casually as ever. His eyes, yet again, trailed elsewhere. And it made me wonder where his little prefect buddy was at. Knowing Yuuki, I hadn't expected her to pull a Kohana on Zero as well.

"Where's Yuuki?" I asked him suddenly. "I thought she would be here. The girl is a hyperactive mess, after all."

Zero didn't respond right away. But he did give me something, even though it was so quiet that I didn't think that I was meant to here it. "With him." He had said, and he had drenched it with as much poison as ever.

So I looked to see who this 'him' was. I tried looking around freely, but all I saw were devil chicks, impersonated comic hero's, ghoulish things and the favourite, ironic, vampires. How original. Next I tried following Zero's eyes, but he looked at my as soon as I angled my head to see where he was staring off too, and quickly turned away.

We stayed silent, not speaking to each other. But the presence was good to have around. Because I knew that if I wanted to speak to him, I could just turn around and he would be there to hear me. So it wasn't exactly awkward. That is until I said something stupid.

"Don't you find it strange," I said. "That the…creatures here can be so calm all the time. That they can act so…_normal_?"

It surprised me that he didn't glare. But his answer is what stopped me from saying more. "The Chairman is the one that thinks they can act normal. But they will never be normal."

And he had said it with such malice. It actually gave me chills. It made me wonder what had turned him off from vampires completely. Jealousy? Bad experiences? I just didn't know. Zero was impenetrable.

"Ah. Right." I agreed apathetically. I didn't want to anger him, so I started searching out Yuuki again. That was until a dark mass shadowed my view.

I looked up into the eyes of a blonde Night Class student. But not any Night Class student, and it wasn't Aidou, which I thanked quietly in my head. It was Kohana's crush. The emerald-eyed vampire that went by the name of Ichijou. And he was smiling, so realistically like that of mortal happiness that it made me uncomfortable to look at it. No longer was I watching Zero out of the corner of my eye, but I didn't doubt that he had tensed up. I could just see the vampire male, with his hand raised in my direction.

"Hello Kiryuu, Annabelle. How is your night? I saw you sitting there all by yourself. Would you like to dance with me so that your night isn't boring?" He suggested warmly, like a soft bunny pelt. It was almost easy to distinguish between the vampires I talked to. They all had different voices, each echoing in some strange way that connected to a certain string of human instincts. His voice made you want to melt --well all of theirs did-- but Ichijou's made you want to melt into a pile of soft silk, lavender and vanilla flowers. It was rich and soothing and warm, and connected with that motherly instinct to cuddle things. It was very warm.

I stuttered stupidly. "Uhh…"

He was dressed in all white, but with a black cloak over his shoulders. Nothing resembled darkness on this vampire. But I didn't know what he was exactly. He looked like a rich passenger on the Titanic. It seemed the vampires were stuck in the olden days this Halloween. A lot of them were wearing medieval costumes as well. But only a select few had the best ones, and all of them I recognized.

"I can teach you how to dance if that is the case." He smiled, and slipped his hand into mine. Ichijou didn't pull like most guys when they wanted something from you. He kind of eased you up comfortably. Before I knew it I was on both feet, slipping over the dance floor. I twisted my head around to see Zero, but he was looking the other way and didn't notice me. And I felt bad for just leaving him there.

Ichijou reached a certain point and smiled down at me with that breathtaking set of pearl white teeth. My breath hitched to a stop, and I knew for a fact that I wasn't being stealthy in my search for fangs. Quickly, embarrassed, I looked back up at him, but he only laughed gently and manoeuvred my hands around him and his around me, keeping a modest distance between us both. From the corner of my eyes, I could see the line of girls watching in awe, waiting for their turns. And just to be polite, I noticed that he smiled at them too, and not in the cocky way Aidou did.

"Isn't this fun?" He said afterwards, beginning to sway a little. "I love Halloween. You get to dress up in many costumes."

"Uhh…yeah." I responded quietly. My hands felt like rubber on his shoulders. If anything, I didn't think my first dance with a vampire would be with a blood-sucker I hardly even knew. "Fun."

"There's so many people. I love parties." He continued, unshaken by my lack of response.

"Yeah."

"So do you know how to dance? Would you like me to teach you?" He turned me around easily, as if I was but a feather. It cast the air out of my lungs. "It's easy." He laughed.

How could this guy be a vampire? He was like a snake trying to be a mouse. A snake that had chosen to eat vegetables over what it was originally designed to consume.

"It's alright. I know how to dance." I admitted. Really, I was unwilling to be re-taught. "So…yeah. Ahah, no need to worry about me stepping on your toes." I should have shot myself there and let it be, but my body was bound to this vampire, and not him individually. The vampires allured me in some strange way. Despite my initial fear for them, I felt compelled to be near them. It was as if I was chained to them by some personal desire or greed. It embarrassed me.

"That's cute. You're blushing." Ichijou stated warmly, a smile curled on his lips. He made the first move by twirling me again, softly and gently. I could barely feel his hand on my back, but new it was there when I was guided, stupidly around the dance floor. I felt foolish and small, lacking in the magnificent talent these creatures obviously possessed. And I couldn't even look up at his face, even when he stated something that should have humiliated me, and retaliate against him. I was stuck in an ice box, with no way of escape. And he wasn't even one of the scary ones.

None of them were exactly like Gerald, the librarian that had revealed the true nature of vampirism to me when he had kidnapped Susan to lure me out. They were all so… smooth. Yes, their walks were catlike, elegant, barely touching the floor, ghostly, and their posture perfect and powerful, but there was a calmness, an agonizing desire but stable control that encased every one of them. It was more comfortable. Much more warm, despite the coolness of Ichijou's hand against mine.

I stared at our hands for a long time, unable to watch his face. While mine were now cold from my nervousness, his were warm from, perhaps, my own body heat that I had previously owned. My fingernails were short and damaged from my chewing, the skin on the sides puckered with red cuts, and his, well, they were manicured, his fingers obviously longer then mine. I felt small and insignificant there too.

The music was soft and elegant, despite the grotesque scenery around us. It really was a wonder to hear such songs on a play list for a Halloween dance.

And eventually like all songs, it did whined down to a slow end. I pulled apart almost instantly, feeling breathless, helpless, but strangely hot. I felt boiled, like lava was flaming up at my feet. And I knew I had to get out of there soon. Suddenly everything was too compact, too tight despite the large space gaps between me and the group of other girls, all forming around us both to get their chance with the infamous blonde Night Class student.

I looked at Ichijou, finally in the face, and tried to smile. "Thanks I guess." I said quietly.

"No problem." He smiled, the corners of his eyes scrunching. "It was fun. You should enjoy yourself more at a dance."

"Ichijou-senpai?" A petite brunette was beside him, her eyes cast to the floor, innocently waiting to catch his attention. When his green eyes turned to her, she blushed and bit her lip softly. "Ichijou-senpai, will you dance with me next?"

How could he deny that request? Ichijou nodded enthusiastically and turned to wave at me. "How about we dance again later tonight?" He didn't wait for me to answer him, the brunette was now occupying him with her squeals of content. "Bye, Annabelle." And he laughed, a wind chimed laugh, and led the girl into another dance as the stereo began to play another melodic song.

And I hurriedly left the floor, humiliated. Not humiliated because he made me feel that way, but because of how I acted as the dance had progressed. I could barely remember where my feet were moving, or which way we were twisting, and the worst part was, I hadn't said anything the whole entire time. My mouth had felt sown shut, my voice unable to work. Now I felt the full extent of my stupidity, and wanted to get back to my chair as fast as possible.

But that's when a white-clad prince stepped in my way, and snatched hold of my wrist. There had only been one step until I successfully fled the dance floor, but now I was being pulled back onto it, with cool fingers wrapped around my wrist.

None other than Aidou was before me, dressed, I must admit with a full fledged fury, handsomely in a white and gold prince outfit. Original, yes, but the costume wasn't surprising. The boy was jacked up with his vanity.

I glared, able to resist his predators touch. This had been the vampire that threatened my life multiple times in the past. I wasn't about to let him lead me to the middle of nowhere and have it start again. With a tug of my arm, I tried to pull away, but his hand instantly tightened, and he pulled me towards him, with an immature chuckle.

"Why don't you dance with me now?" He said, mischievously and boyish. Aidou really was just a stubborn, self-induced jerk, who thought he was better than everyone else. I'm sure he expected me to say yes and faint like many of the other female Day Class students would have done. But maybe not. I'm sure he knew me by now.

Maybe he was just trying to get underneath my skin.

"No." I said calmly. "I don't want to dance with you. I don't like you very much."

I tugged a little harder; and his grip tightened more, to the point that the ends of my fingers turned red.

"Don't be cruel, Annabelle-chan. I'm being nice to you." And this time _he_ tugged, pulling his elbow backwards and towards his chest. I staggered forward with a gasp, and he took my other hand and slipped the other behind me, so that we were in a perfect dancing position. He didn't give me time to try and pull away, his feet were already moving, guiding us through a few people. Some of the girls at the side lines, I saw, frowned and turned to whisper words at their friends.

"I said I don't want to dance with you." I hissed, and my fingers tightened on the white silk of his shoulder. I put all the anger into my glare, all the resentment I felt for this vampire, who clearly was playing an insulting game with me. He didn't feel terribly bad like Gerald either, but he did feel like a five year old pulling my mood.

"Too late. You're already dancing." He pointed out calmly, again, like he was insulting me for my stupidity. "Don't fight it, Annabelle-chan, I am irresistible after all." He leaned a little closer, so his face was centimetres from mine. At this range, I suddenly turned to rubber. My insides did a double tumble, and my breath caught fire in my throat. "I know you want me to drink your blood." He whispered against my ear, and then pulled away, his eyes narrowed. "I still haven't repaid you since you got me into trouble with Kaname-sama. This dance is just a start."

"This dance shouldn't even exist!" I growled, fiercely, like an outraged kitten with all its fur fluffed up.

"You're right. The dance won't count."

"I don't owe you anything!" I snapped, and at this point I tried to pull my hands away. But the hand on my back wouldn't budge, and the single hand holding mine turned adamant. He wouldn't let me go, the bastard.

"Yes, you do." And suddenly Aidou looked pleased with himself; he clearly ignored the fact that I was trying to escape, but digging my nails into the back of his hand. "And I have a good memory, so I won't be forgetting any time soon, either."

No longer could I feel the rhythm of the music, no longer could I feel my feet --although that numbness had started way earlier. I hissed and cursed, but moved only because Aidou didn't give me time to stop. Even if I just fell slack, I'm sure he'd carry my limp body around just as easily.

I gave up after a full minute, and heaved a heavy breath. "I hate you." I muttered. "Why do you always bug me? Don't you… _things_ have anything better to do?

His eyes narrowed, and he turned me quickly, so the air vanished from my lungs. "You wouldn't like it if I called you a thing, would you? Stupid human. I'll kill you if you say that again." He threatened.

"_Thing_." I challenged, despite the beating of my heavy heart.

There was but a pause in his steps, and then, faster even then my breathing, or a shooting star, he spun around, faster and faster. And my head snapped back to my right shoulder, knocking me dizzily from reality. When he calmed, with a proud smile upon his lips, I was seeing stars.

"I warned you, Annabelle-chan. You shouldn't take me lightly." He whispered against my ear. But all I could hear was the singing blood in my veins.

Eventually I got my eyes open, and stared him down. "Bastard." I growled quietly, and he chuckled, his heart swelled to maximum height, full of his egotistical pride. "Let me go." I ordered, curling my fingers into his hand. My nails weren't long, in fact, they were very, very short, and chewed and jagged, but it was my only means of defence. Of course, it didn't even phase the blonde vampire male.

He smiled though, and closed his eyes, listening to the music. "Since I'm a prince," He began to say, "You should be my servant. It's only right since you set me up for trouble."

"Servant?!" I protested, this time completely serious --not that I hadn't been for the passed few minutes. "You've got to be kidding me! Let go of me you whack job!"

"It's only fair." He said, in a tone as calm and as beautiful as ever. With Aidou, however, you can usually expect that twinge of boyish snobbiness most teenage rich kids had. It made me angry, wild. I wanted to kick him in the face --if only my legs reached that high--, I wanted to pull at his hair and spit at him. How come I didn't?

"First of all, I don't remember setting you up to get into trouble." I responded defiantly, sticking my nose up. "I remember walking alone in the dark and you coming out from nowhere. I also remember you trying to snag some of my blood while I stand still. How does that count as 'setting a person up'?"

"You did it because you wanted attention. _My_ attention." He stated, matter-of-factly. Apparently I had no say in what I had been feeling at the time.

With a snort, I turned my head to the side and looked elsewhere. "You're attention earns me what? A thousand and one Day Class girls lining up to bash the hell 'outta me? I don't think so, Aidou."

"Does that mean you don't want my attention?"

Abruptly following his words, our dance concluded. He stopped it with just his body, and it made me realize how much he had been leading, and how much I had been…well, not. The look in his eyes changed in just an instant. I was still not used to seeing Aidou for what he was. The different mood swings tended to catch me off guard. Sometimes he joked, and the more frequent changes I saw, was him turning into a bad, bad creature.

Those turquoise eyes narrowed, and his hand tightened, with a bone crushing force, around my fingers.

"Ah." I was startled, and hissed a complaint through my lungs. How easily he changed. "I didn't mean--"

Suddenly I was against him again, but Aidou moved slower this time, an ominous aura around him. I felt cold and vulnerable. And like a rabbit in the eyes of a snake, I was thinking up ways to get through Aidou if he tried to accomplish anything at this moment. Kick to shin, kick to family jewels, kick to anything I could reach. Biting could work, head bashing. Or I could squeeze out a girly wail.

"You should be careful around us, Annabelle-chan." He was saying against my ear, and pulled me back a bit so I could look up at his face. There was amusement in his eyes; the bad Aidou present. The one I had seen before, who had frozen my legs to the ground, who had smashed Kohana's camera in the Academy halls, who had almost taken my blood against a tree. Then, as if his mood had been switched as fast as a light turning on, he looked bored. "I wonder why you chose to be an angel."

Over the pounding of my heart, I could hear the music slowing to a softening, silky halt. Nothing felt more incredible then to dance with a vampire, I had to admit to myself, but with Aidou, the experience was adrenaline-filled. I felt as if I had jumped off a cliff. He stopped and dropped his hands instantly, but when I moved to meet his eyes, I suddenly wished I had chosen, despite my anger, to look somewhere else.

He was glaring at me.

The look was so Zero-like that it almost made me crumble to the floor in shattered bits. And before I could say anything, Aidou lifted his head, stubbornly away from me. "You should be expecting orders soon, servant." Then he left, quickly, smoothly, before a single word could be uttered from my mouth.

I stood there for what must have been a minute or two, and moved before anymore students could give me funny looks. This time, when I tried to leave the dance floor, I was successful, and managed to weave myself back to my original chair.

I wasn't surprised to find Zero still against the pillar, unmoved, as if he had been waiting there his whole life in a rock iron cast. He didn't acknowledge me when I sat down, quietly, in the chair. And I didn't feel like drawing attention to him either. It was more of a mutual silence, until he decided to wreck it, completely and utterly obliterate.

"You smell like vampire. It's disgusting." He stated boldly, without a glance in my direction.

"Thanks. I appreciate that comment." I answered, just as dryly.

With a small sound, Zero tucked his hands into his pockets and stared at me, or rather, he looked me down, until I squirmed uncomfortably from his heavy, secluded eyes.

"Why were you dancing with them anyway?" He asked, the natural bitterness not forgetting to come into his voice right about now.

I blinked. "You seem to be unaware of the fact that I was practically dragged from my seat."

He didn't say anything after that, and looked away a moment later. His eyes darted around, and landed on something. From my wild assumption, he must be looking for someone, and I did have a go at who that someone was.

"So Zero, how come you're not dancing?" I asked suddenly, standing back up. With all that manoeuvring around the dance floor --or rather being forced to hardly move while the vampires flung me weightlessly across it-- my feet felt numb.

Those purple orbs landed on me again, but this time I didn't feel small under their gaze. Instead, I could feel the corners of my lips twitch and stretch, until I was grinning, probably, like a mad woman. "You're not scared are you?"

He raised an eyebrow, and just as quickly, returned with a bland expression on his face. "I don't dance." He said. "Besides," At here he looked away at the people on the dance floor. "I have a job to do."

"I'm going to make a wild guess here, and stop me if I have any of this wrong…" For the first time this evening, I finally found what Zero had been staring at. And I should have smacked myself earlier for not knowing or realizing it. Yuuki, obviously, with another man. Only it wasn't really a man, unless you counted vampires as mortals. Kaname Kuran, the head dorm leader with Yuuki Cross. The reality of it was so bold that I didn't understand how I could have not noticed sooner. "Would you dance if Yuuki Cross asked you too?"

There was a surprise in Zero that shocked me too, and I glanced at him quickly, noting the wide eyes before they returned to normal.

"What are you getting at?" He responded automatically, bitter at my suggestion. "Mind your own business."

"Not today my friend, not today." Once my breathing calmed, I looked back at the two brunettes. Kaname was obviously taller than Yuuki, who was almost exactly the same height as Susan. He was holding out a glass of punch for her; it looked as if they had just come in from outside. While she was dressed in a white gown, which made me think princess, he was, unoriginally, in a cloak. Dracula perhaps? Kaname didn't seem like the person who would dress up. It did look like he was wearing his white uniform underneath it anyway. "So," I said, breaking the tension that had swelled to about half my size between Zero and I. "If I get you Yuuki, you have to do something for me. But I won't tell you what, got it? Trick and treat, right?" I did feel like playing a game, typically similar to Aidou calling me a servant. There was no time for Zero's reply, I was already moving. "Just wait here." I told him, and there was no doubt that he was looking after me with surprise.

I have no idea what made me do it. Kaname Kuran was the last vampire on my mind, on my list of things to do, to approach so suddenly. Then again, he was also the very first thing on my list of interests. He had given me something a month ago: answers to questions no matter how stupid they were. For some reason, this felt more like a quest I had to accomplish then just a trick I pulled on Zero.

It took me awhile to reach Yuuki and Kaname, I had a problem with procrastinating. My nerves were suddenly on fire, scorching me internally, and I had lingered by the food, catching up a pumpkin shaped cookie between my lips. But, as I glanced over in Zero's direction and caught his dark, violet eyes, I was suddenly filled with a confidence I really had no idea I had.

With my hands balled into fists, I marched my way towards the two, and came up behind Yuuki in a creepy, almost joking sense.

She reacted as I had wanted her too. The brunette was already flushed, her cheeks a gentle pink, but when she saw me, her eyes widened and a small sound escaped her throat.

"Annabelle-chan…" She breathed, clasping her hand to her chest. "Annabelle-chan, you scared me."

I should have known that I would eventually whined up tongue tied. First of all, I hadn't actually concocted a smart plan for when I did manage to come between these two love birds, so I was left with words hanging at the ends of my thoughts, like broken unusable tools.

"Uhhh…" Was the only thing that came out, until I interjected my thoughts with a nervous sounding laugh. "Sorry, Yuuki. I guess I… accidentally ran in to you."

Yuuki smiled, and a strange current passed through the air. For some reason, it seemed as if Yuuki was glad I had showed up, as if the weight of Kaname's presence was too much for her as well. Timidly, I reached with my eyes towards the vampire's face, and found the same desolate mask that was always planted there. An apathetic expression, devoid of emotions, staring right back.

"Right," I said quietly, and reached out to rub at the back of my head. "So, what are you for Halloween Yuuki?"

"Uhm…uhm…" A faint pink rose up in her cheeks again, and furtively, she glanced at Kaname. "I'm a princess." She muttered.

"Ah, you left out the fact that you are a medieval princess." The rich, seductive voice said from behind her, and when I looked up, I was surprised to see that, although extremely expressionless in the eyes that looked down at Yuuki, the edges of Kaname's lips were curled, only slightly, to form what I thought was a smile. It almost knocked me off my feet. "I believe they are the most charming."

"Kaname-sempai…" Yuuki burbled, almost like an over-intoxicated schoolgirl.

Suddenly I felt like an outsider. As if a wall had just been constructed in front of me, separating me from everyone else. It made me giddy with nerves, and I tried hard not to chew at my lip, in case I bled and this whole Halloween dance came crashing down on me because I was embarrassed of my own loneliness.

I decided to get straight to the point, least I was forced to watch the two compliment each other any more.

"Yuuki, do you mind if I…" At this point, I glanced at Kaname, and held his eyes for a long time, "talk to Kaname for a second? It's just something I want to discuss…"

"Sure…" Yuuki turned to the vampire, and bowed slightly. "Thank-you for the juice, Kaname-sempai."

"It's okay…" Kaname soothed, as if crooning to a baby, and touched the top of her head with his long, slender hand. "I'll be with you in a moment."

When she left, I twisted, and gave Zero a stealthy thumbs up. But I don't think he saw me.

"What is it that you would like to discuss?"

For the second time tonight, my brain was a mess. I hadn't even begun to think of what I was going to say to Kaname once I got him alone, and now that he was there, standing elegantly, my stomach fell through the floor. I blinked, uncertain, and then glanced around, searching for something.

"Want to go outside with me?" Once I found a humiliating error in that question, I coughed and added, "Just for a second. I have a few more questions I would like you to answer…"

Not waiting for an answer, I turned on my heel and approached the outside of the Academy. I had to beat random spider webs from my path before I was in the open air, but once the foggy, dazed insides of the dance were gone, a wave of relief calmed me.

Although I could barely hear his footsteps against the ground, I turned to see Kaname following, and then stop in time with me. I blinked, smiled foolishly, and walked around the building until we were out of reach from the normal students. By this time, although the vampire didn't say anything, I felt like he was getting annoyed, but when I turned to him, his expression was as monotone as his voice.

"I hope you are enjoying your night." He said, but I knew it was just a polite gesture, from years of experience when dealing with women. "Now, what would you like to know?"

There were many things that I would have liked to ask. But, yet again, at the very moment when my eyes met his and were locked in some powerful current, some connection, some deep power in this man that simply cut through all of my defences, my mind went blank, dead and useless. I struggled for a response, and like that time on the cobblestone walk overlooking the lake, he watched patiently.

Finally, as I leaned back against the Academy wall, a fair web of vines behind me, I thought of something. "I wanted to know…how you became a vampire." I found a small rock between my feet to observe as I continued, "I mean, after the other time we talked, when you told me that those myths I brought up were fake, I wanted to know if the whole 'biting into the neck thing' changes a human into a vampire, and I was just wondering, if it's true, how you were, you know, changed…"

There was a silent moment that followed, and it was probably because Kaname was thinking up an answer. As intimidating as he was, I found that I couldn't keep my eyes off him, and watched his black shoes instead, glossy and perfect just like him.

"There's a difference between being turned into a vampire and being born one." He said, a monotone melody against my ears. "Unlike those who have succumbed to the fate of being turned into a vampire, some are born into it."

His face was completely serious, and he answered my question without emotion. I felt more like an amateur journalist then a curious school girl, and thought long and hard about it. "So I'm guessing you were born into vampirism?"

"I was." Kaname answered, then his face softened and he looked down at my dress. "Ah, I see you've chosen to be an angel."

"Huh?" I followed his gaze, and felt the heat rise in my cheeks. "Yeah… although these cardboard wings are hurting my… wait."

I was all too gullible. Was he trying to distract me?

"You just changed subjects, didn't you?"

"I thought that you might not want to miss the dance." He explained.

"No, I don't care. This dance is lame. They don't even have scary music playing." Again I realized the change of topics. "Anyway, we were still talking about you guys, you creatures. Uhmm.." Damn, the thought was as incoherent as the music playing from the Academy, which sounded muffled and obscured from where we were. The word born popped into my head, and after that the remembrance of the topic. "So you guys are born vampires. What about the ones that are turned into vampires by other vampires? Are they the same as you guys?"

There was a slight hesitation.

"No, they are different from us." He said, and there was an edge to his tone that made me think that that was all he was going to say. He didn't look angry or frustrated, the apathetic mask was still in place, but there was just _something_ that told me Kaname was as secretive as a con-artist.

I didn't push any further.

"Right. I guess I can make my own assumptions for that one…"

A picture of Gerald flashed through my head, the crazed glaze of his red eyes, the evil aura. I wondered if, at one point in time, he had originally been a human. If so, then the humans changed to vampires certainly turned into quite the little bitches.

I placed a hand on my neck, absently thinking of what I would have become back then, if Ichijou or Shiki, Zero or Yuuki had never come into the picture. What if Gerald had turned me into a vampire?

A chill as cold as stone went down my spine.

"You are cold." Kaname said, breaking me from my reverie. "Did you have anymore questions?"

I blinked. "Uhm…Not that I know of, no."

"Would you like to go back to the dance?"

Zero must have made his move by now. I did leave him with a few minutes, after all.

"Sure. Why not? Even though it sucks, and the dance isn't even scary, I should get back."

Kaname didn't say anything, but he did shift. And like that night out by the lake, he placed his hand on my shoulder, and guided me gently to the front of the Academy. But the touch was barely a touch; it was more feathery light. A gentlemen's touch. And I followed without a word until we were back in the Academy.

But then I reached out and took him by the sleeve.

"Thanks." I said. "You know, for dealing with my questions and all."

His eyes were almost black in the dimly lit Academy room, but for some reason it didn't intimidate me. I felt flushed, a little good; I couldn't believe this man was actually answering my questions.

"You are curious." Kaname stated as I let go of his arm. "I don't see anything wrong with that."

"Curiosity is what killed the cat, you know."

"Indeed it is."

"Yeah…" Why did I say something like that? Was I wishing for a death deed? After a pause, I rubbed my hand through my hair --or tried to at least. My fingers got stuck near the end, and embarrassed, I waved at the vampire. "Have a good time. I have to go now. See you!"

I rushed away from the apathetic Kaname, and returned to my spot in the corner of the floor, beside a decorated pillar. To my surprise, Zero was still lounging beside it.

"What the hell, man!" I startled him by saying.

He glared.

"I specifically did that for you! Why did you not dance with Yuuki? What's wrong with you?"

"Wrong with me?" He snapped. "I don't remember saying I wanted to dance."

"Oh my god… I want to punch you." I declared, throwing up my arms and falling down into my seat.

The dance was still thick and heavy. For me it had gone on for hours, but for everyone else it was just the beginning.

Deeper into the crowd, I caught a familiar set of eyes. They were Kohana's, and I raised myself to greet her. But stopped once I noticed something. They weren't friendly eyes, not even welcoming eyes, they were hostile eyes. They were eyes that looked into your soul, and ripped you apart just to tell you they resented you.

And they were coming from my friend.

* * *

**Wheew. This chapter took a long time to get out --it was supposed to be out on Halloween. As you can see, that didn't happen. I know you guys aren't looking for excuses, so I won't give any. I think I just get stuck whenever a hard character --Kaname or any of the other vampires-- come into play. I'm afraid I'll get their characters wrong. So do tell me if they seem off. **

**Flaming-Amber brought up a good point. I think i'll end Part 1 of Annabelle's story soon. I already have the ending made out. And the second part will of course have the awaited fluff. You'll see why near the end of Limitless Spite. **


	19. Scare

**Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Knight or its characters. I do however own Annabelle Locke.**

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen**

I awoke to the sound of the repetitive alarm clock singing away on my nightstand. For a moment, disoriented and confused --sleepy, of course-- I struggled with finding the off button, but eventually I shut it down and angrily got out of bed. The room was empty; Kohana's bed was a mess and her night clothes were slung against the end corner as if she had been in a rush. I guess she forgotten to wake me up in her panic. But maybe she hadn't.

She hadn't spoken to me when we got back in the Dorm room, and instead of flustering about what she did all night, she chose to go straight to bed, murmuring something about how tired she was. I hadn't questioned. Obviously she was angry at me. Now I could just tell when the atmosphere changed between the two of us. Since last night it had turned hostile, and I knew it wasn't because I chose to sit out all night.

For the next ten minutes I got myself ready. I was already late for first class, so I decided to skip it completely and just head straight to second period. My time table had been re-modified a week earlier, so today I had a physical education class instead.

Great. Sports weren't exactly my forte. Last year in high school I had seriously injured a girl from slap shooting a volley ball --the sad part was she had been on my team.

I wandered the Dorm for about half an hour before leaving to get to the next class on time. Unfortunately it wasn't being held in the Academy --which was still being tidied up from last nights scream fest-- but instead outside near the stables. That could only mean one thing: Horses.

The last time I had been near them was when I was drunk and stupid and talking to myself --and them-- about pointless things. That night was now an official blur, but it still brought up bad memories. At that point I may have thought them enjoyable, but now I was nervous. To be completely honest, I had never ridden a horse in my life and now I was regretting the low budget horse back riding offers my grandmother had found in the newspaper when I was eight.

By the time I reached the stables I could already smell and hear them out on the field. Somehow I had managed to be late for this class too, and was barraged by the horse instructor who thought my lateness was a weakness of my mentality. She sniffed me off and told me to get into riding gear. Which I didn't have. So instead she gave me an old pair of stretchy pants and a helmet that didn't quite fit right on my head. Then she saddled up a auburn horse and told me to join the players in the field.

At that point I thought this lady was crazy --with her low quality make-up and cherry red lips. It was far too cold to go outside in these pants. But she just muttered something in Japanese and stalked out of the barn, warning me that if she didn't see me in fifteen minutes I would get the boot.

I was all set to try and get onto the horse when someone stepped beside me and tapped my shoulder. It was a petite brunette with shoulder length hair, and she had a few freckles spotting over her nose. "Hey, uhm… You kind of stole my horse." She said timidly.

"Oh…really?" Dumbfounded, I looked from the girl to the giant animal, with my one foot still in the stirrup.

"Yeah. See, I just went to the bathroom…and…"

"It's alright. Here." I untangled myself quickly and clumsily.

She thanked me and swept up onto the horse with no issue at all. In awe, I watched her apply pressure to the beasts stomach until it moved. She stopped just at the exit to the barn.

"Uhm… You could always try riding Lily. She's the only horse left, and she's out here in the field by herself."

I smiled. "Thanks. I guess I better get to it then, or else the teacher will be shooting me down permanently."

The girl laughed and left quickly, breaking into a swift trot. I frowned.

Great. The teacher gave me an already claimed horse.

I moved out of the barn slowly, still slightly confused at what just happened. A fence stretched out beside me and circled a small golden green field. On the other side students were walking and trotting to the instructors voice. I turned to the field, expecting a horse I could ride.

Instead I found a monster I would rather run away from. The drunk night may be vague and obscured, but I did remember an evil horse eyeing me with a killing intent. The same horse was eyeing me again, with its white head raised, fixing me with one large black eye.

I took a step back, immediately thinking that I should just skip this class too. Run now while the instructor was still busy with teaching the rest of the class. But the idea came too late.

"Excuse me, how come you are not on a horse?"

I turned to regard the teacher unappealingly, bitter even. "I can't ride that." I gestured to the white horse with my thumb. "And the horse you gave me before was someone else's."

"You can ride that horse, and you will. Maybe next time you will think twice about being late for my class." The teacher moved to the wooden gate and unlocked the black hatch. It swung open with a creak. "Let's go. Inside. Round her up."

"But I've never--"

She cut me off with a snippy grunt. "Enough excuses. Inside now."

In silence, I groaned and slipped into the field. The grass crunched under my booted feet as I cautiously moved my way to the horse. I could have sworn that I saw its upper lip tremble, almost as if it had just hissed or growled. And it looked like it was ready to snap a neck or something. I raised my hands in a mock interpretation of a movie villain being cornered by the police, and slowed my steps down as if I was approaching Godzilla babies.

The horse took a step back and snorted. I stopped for a minute, then continued.

It raised its head, looking down at me, and clopped further back. Again I stopped, and this time turned back to see the instructor watching me.

"See?" I shouted. "This horse is crazy. It's going to kill me."

"Proceed, Miss Locke."

I scowled and turned back to the enemy, with its white fur gleaming with sweat in the crisp autumn sun. With a large breath, I moved forward again. And finally made it beside the horse. Surprisingly it just flinched when I pressed a hand to it, and it didn't run or try to kick me like I thought.

There, finally, the fear washed away from me with a single breath, and I patted down the animal with one hand.

"This isn't time to admire the horses." The teacher snapped; somehow her annoying voice made it across the field. "Let's go."

I would have thrown something at her if I had been completely unoccupied, but right now learning for the first time how to get on a horse was pretty time consuming. At first I tried putting the wrong foot in the stirrup, when that didn't work, I switched feet and got my ankle stuck. I was almost cursing out loud by the time I twisted my foot free, and then tried again, this time more frantic and panicky. The whole time the teacher just watched, with her arms crossed, a stern, unresponsive tone setting her lips low.

As soon as I made it up properly, with a little more fussing over how the reins were supposed to be, and the saddle being tilted from me grabbing onto it so hard, I wiped a hand over my forehead to clear the cold sweat that had broken out. The teacher nodded her head and unlatched the gate again, letting it swing open to allow me entrance to the training field.

"Alright, now walk over here." She ordered, and I obeyed instantly, copying what I saw the other students do on their horses.

I kicked the horse in the ribs, hard, too hard, and pulled back on the reins, feeling like I was going to tip over. But the animal didn't like that, not one bit.

For a moment everything was quiet, just for a second, and then everything around me erupted into chaos. The white horse reared up on its hind legs and let lose an enormous sound from its throat. While I struggled to stay on it, it kicked out its back feet and bucked its head, making me go all loopy on the inside. I could barely even hear the teacher yelling for help; my blood was singing in my ears. Then the horse twisted, snapping me forward onto its neck, and took off like a rocket.

Students shouted out things from behind me, and I could barely hear the rickety clopping of other horses. The wind slapped me in the face, cold and sharp, and suddenly I felt sick. Very sick, like I was going to throw up.

The big animal jostled underneath me, and I forced my eyes open when I felt the muscles bunch up. There was a fence in front of us, and this mad horse was heading straight for it. I shrieked a sound, and tried to pull back on the reins, finally having some kind of control kick back into my body. But the crazy thing wouldn't listen and before I knew it, it's feet moved off the ground and I soared, literally, sailing through the air on the back of this animal, until it landed with a harsh thud and I painfully crushed my pelvic bone against the saddle.

That was going to bruise.

The horse didn't stop there. Instead of calming down afterwards, it took off again, this time heading towards the cobblestone walk, where some students sat idly chatting to one another. Once they saw me, their mouths popped open, and they fled like rabbits and watched from afar as my thrill ride continued. First the hooves clattered on the walkway, the horse paused for a short minute, gauging which direction to go in, then it turned left, reared again, and moved quickly. At this point I had given up trying to stop it, and was just frantically trying to find a safe way _off_ before I got killed.

Either I jumped or…I jumped. Either way was going to get me injured, but if I stayed on this crazy animal there was no doubt something worse was going to happen. I braced myself for impact, readying myself for the sheer fall that was no doubt going to happen. I would have to roll of course, least I want to break anything. The ground flew by beneath my feet, but I wrenched my eyes closed and steadied my breathing, counting down loudly in my head.

One.

Two.

Th--

Something fell from above, and it wasn't just a little thing. It was large, and heavy, and made the horse whinny loudly as whatever it was that had fallen straddled its flank behind me. Arms came out from underneath my own, and hands that weren't mine took a hold of the reins. They pulled, hard, and the horse's head went up. A loud sound tore from its throat, something like a strangled cry and a growl of anger. Yet magically the beast slowed in its canter, returned to a bumpy trot, and lazily pulled to a halt beside an overgrown willow tree.

At this point I didn't know what had happened. My heart still thrilled to the adrenaline whizzing through me, and my head spun with exaggerated twirls.

"Whoa…" I whispered, breathless.

I looked around to see Zero sliding off the white horse, his stark white hand gliding over its flank. His violet eyes were on me as I too untangled myself from the saddle and took a step back from Lily the horse. There was a bit of silence that I broke with my jagged breathing, but then I turned to him and nodded. "Thanks. I thought I was a goner." I stared at the white horse that was watching me with one black eye. "And I would have been. I was just about to catapult myself off this joy ride."

It snorted at me.

"Next time you should learn how to ride a horse before you get on one." The prefect said, picking up the reins. "You're lucky you weren't hurt this time."

I shrugged. "The teacher was bothering me. She wouldn't take no for an answer." I watched as Zero tugged the horses head down; his lips were moving, but I couldn't hear what he was saying. The horse began to eat grass. "I uhh… How did you do that?"

He looked at me. "Do what?"

"It was like you fell from the sky." I tried to explain; I knew I must have looked a little crazy. With my hair wind blown, my makeup smudged from the water in my eyes. Now I was proclaiming he crashed landed on his way to Mars by falling on the crazy horse I had been riding. "I mean, well, you weren't there and then you were." I gave up on that second shot. "Never mind. How come she listens to you and not me?"

The horse seemed to be completely at ease around Zero. Whenever it raised its head it fixed me with an iron glare.

He hesitated, and patted down Lily's mane. "You must have spooked her."

"Oh right, blame me."

He watched me for a moment, a dead silence winding through us, and then gave the reins a gentle tug and began to walk back to the walkway we had sheered off from. The horse obeyed willingly, but it took me a little longer to oblige going back to the Academy. Lily grunted when I came up beside Zero, but I was too distracted to notice enough to respond.

"So I've been doing some thinking." I stated as our feet met the stone path. "Did I tell you that the Chairman invited me to become a prefect like you and Yuuki?"

I wasn't surprised that Zero faced me with wide, violet saucer-like eyes.

Before he could say anything, I continued. "Yeah, I know, crazy right? I denied of course… but I don't know, I've been a little bored lately. And I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about how things work with you guys. You know, other than staying up really late making sure no girls sneak in. Is it any fun?"

Again there was a hesitation in his answer, but this time it was longer. When I looked at him, even though his eyes were in front of him, I could see the pained expression that had suddenly flared up in them.

"Zero? Is something wrong?"

He stopped abruptly, and the horse followed suit. I was the only one that was a little slow, but when I did stop, I was alive with curiosity. He made it so hard not to ask questions. The blanket of secrecy around him was extremely confusing, and undeniably impenetrable.

"Zero?" I tried again, quieter this time.

"You think it would be fun?" He said under his breath, his silver hair covering his eyes. "Every night protecting humans from being eaten by vampires? Every night seeing the things you hate most?" When he looked up, his eyes were cold. "No, it's not fun."

I was too frozen to respond. He began to walk again, the horse clopping beside him, snorting as it passed me. This time, though, I didn't follow him. I just watched him with wide eyes, understanding now that yes, Zero hated vampires. And he hated them with a great passion.

I thought about it for a minute or two, and wondered what he had gone through to get so bitter. There was a slight push in my mind to go after him, but before I could think anything through, three students on horse back came trotting over to my side. I watched as they dismantled and walked over, their horses in tow.

"Are you alright?" asked a blonde-haired girl.

"Yeah I'm fine." I assured her.

"That horse is a little crazy. Maybe next time you should try another?" Said a tall skinny boy. He was already saddling back up at the sign of no trouble.

"Trust me," I said, looking off into the distance. "There won't be a next time."

------------

That night I was called into the chairman's office. Randomly, out of the blue, just after I had gotten back, safe and sound, to my dormitory. Kohana hadn't been there. I hadn't seen her since the Halloween dance. I had a strange feeling that I was being avoided, yet I took it upon myself not to hunt her down and demand a reason why.

I was tossing off my pack when there was a knock at my door. It was Yuuki, with a message from the Chairman. From the way she was staring at me, I was pretty sure she already knew that I had been invited to join the Prefects. Although, I wasn't sure if it was excitement in her eyes, or a disappointment.

"Right. I'll be right on my way…once I've finished up…around here. Doing homework." I explained, poorly of course. The truth was I wanted a cigarette first, but I wouldn't tell her that. Not unless I wanted an ear load of law jabber in my ear.

She left, and I went back into my room and dug my cigarette box out of my closet. Two left. I had managed to distinguish my addiction --but it wasn't really an addiction, I told myself. I never got addicted to anything. Strong willed, duh. I opened up my window, pushed the curtains aside, and lit the end of it up, so that it was bright orange and warm. I inhaled, the smoke burning on the way into my lungs, and exhaled out through the open window. Last thing I needed was some deep concern from the Chairman on my smoking habits.

Although I was almost positive he knew I did it.

Then afterwards I sprayed myself with a floral tube of perfume I had gotten on my birthday last year. Second-hand. My grandmother never spent actual money on gifts; it would take away from the fake nails fund she'd dip into every month. But I had to admit, long cat-like nails did suit an unfashionable woman like her. Those bright pink claws with a horizontal striped sweater.

Just lovely.

I slipped on my shoes and left the room, languid, sore. My back was already feeling the effects of a tight back on a crazy horse. Tomorrow it would be worse. Most likely I'd wake up to a bone-crushing agony, a searing hot pain that tore through my insides. Well, not overplayed like that, but still bad. Like waking up after you've slept the wrong way. Your bones hurt like a bitch after that. Sours your mood too.

Sunset, already. I was getting used to this thing. The vampires, I mean. Them escaping their confinement of their dormitories to pounce around with pretty faces, while young female, hot blooded humans pranced around them, flashing their teeth, fluttering their eyes, sweeping their hair back and exposing their necks. I made sure to pass by that long road on my way to the Academy.

By now it was obvious the chairman didn't fear for my life around the vampires. Clearly I was incapable of dying, therefore needed no protection. Besides, the vampires were just going to be wandering the halls. Nothing wrong with that. I was an open lady. I was a human. But I was also on throne chair to becoming a prefect. A small sense of power for a creature like me.

Well, if I decided to take it or not.

And I knew it was going to be about this. This prefect business that is. He hadn't brought it up for a month or more --I lost track after the first week-- and now that he was inviting me to his office for a 'chat' , I was more the sure it was to reform me of that business proposition.

I knocked on the door, waited for a response. It was almost instant. The chairman said from the other side, "Come in!" And I obeyed.

I hadn't been in this office for awhile. I remembered when I first arrived at the Academy, how I always seemed to whined up here, somehow, through some sort of mischief, sitting on that couch. I sat there now, with my hands on my lap, leaning back into the cushion, getting comfortable. The chairman was behind his desk, scribbling on a piece of paper. When he looked at me, he was smiling, and his glasses glared in the minimal sunlight filtering through the window.

"Good evening!" He said. By now, I was used to his hyper attitude. "I heard about your fall today. You should watch out for Lilly. She's far too experienced for a rider like you."

I wondered then, how I had become so used to everything. It seemed like just yesterday when the world was so heavy, so thick, that it squashed me down like a bug. When had I started to understand things? When had I started to accept things? It was a slow and gradual process. How far was I into it? No, I still had doubts. That surreal feeling after something terrible happens; after you wake up, you can't really believe it. Like a dream.

I still felt like I was dreaming --it just had a new sense of reality to it.

"Before you say anything," I cut in. "I don't know."

His face grew still, his mouth turning into a curious line. "Don't know?" He asked.

"You called me in to discuss this prefect business, right?" I wasn't stupid. I wasn't going to let him hide his ulterior motive behind small talk. "I still don't know."

He leaned back, raised a hand, adjusted his glasses. Seriousness replaced his mirth. "It would be very helpful to Yuuki and Kiryuu-kun if you decided to join them. I don't want to burden you with anything you won't enjoy. That's not my intention. I just thought that since you knew about the vampires, you would want to help."

There was a humour that bubbled up in me then. A dark humour. I smiled. "Why would you think I'd want to help? Why do people always forget that I'm here for a crime that I committed? I shouldn't be asked to be a prefect. I don't understand it. I'm sure there are plenty of other students out there that wouldn't mind filling in for one of the prefects."

The chairman laced his fingers together. "I know the other students would be very happy to help. But I don't know how they would react to knowing about the Night Class."

"Don't you think --no, didn't you ever think-- that maybe they should know that they are drooling over vampires?"

There was a small silence.

Then he said, in a quiet voice, "I don't know if they' would understand what I'm trying to do."

"Pacifism doesn't apply to everyone, Chairman. I understand why you wouldn't tell them. But if something goes wrong--"

"All my vampire children know the rules to this Academy."

"Kept in line by who? Kaname?" I took in a breath. Conversations seemed to flutter like butterfly wings with me. Now I was discussing the chairman's mistakes. Was I trying to avoid the question? Or was I really curious? "The head vampire?"

"Having a pureblood vampire does help a great deal. I trust Kaname with regulating the rules with the other students."

Pureblood. That sounded important. When I get back to the dorm, I should Google that.

"What if he decides to go on a rampage then? What would you do then, Chairman?" There was an anger in my voice that I didn't understand. Underlying the curiosity, far below that, I was upset. Was it fair that the human students didn't know about the vampires? Or a better question --was it better not knowing? If I didn't know about the vampires, would I be in a better place?

Curiosity killed the cat. Is there, deep and far inside those words --because that's all they are, is words-- an actual meaning behind that phrase? Is it telling us that when we want to know something, we should just forget about it? Move on? Would it be better to do that, then, than to actually know the truth? Would we fair better with an illusionist lie?

I looked up at the chairman, now curious for an answer. Had he even thought about the consequences if Kaname decided to turn psycho vampire?

He regarded me quietly. Opened his mouth, was answered by another voice.

"I believe the in same thing the Chairman does. His cause will benefit not only the humans, but the vampire population as well."

I blinked, and turned my head. Kaname was standing on the threshold of the door, his long fingers slipping from the doorknob as he closed it behind him. His eyes were dark, turning from me to the Chairman, back again.

The humiliation of being caught by the person you were talking dirty about crept through me. I turned my head away, sighed.

"Kaname-kun!" The Chairman greeted, standing up from his chair. The vampire, pureblood, deserved a standing welcome. I, a human, deserved what?

"It seems I came at the wrong time." He observed smoothly.

By the looks of it, with the door closed, he didn't plan on leaving either.

"No." I answered. "We weren't talking about anything important." I turned back to the chairman, smiled a bit. Fake of course. "I don't think I'll take that offer. Being a prefect is…too much of a responsibility. I'll screw it up, believe me."

The Chairman blinked, seemed to regain some sort of understanding as to what I was talking about, sat back down. "Will you think about it a bit more?"

"It's been over a month." I pointed out.

Kaname shifted from the corner of my eye. He came around the opposite end of me, sat down in the opposite couch, cross one leg over the way. His eyes were closed, as if keeping to himself silently. Patiently; he must be waiting for me to leave.

The Chairman sat up and got out of his chair, went around the desk, brought back a glass with water. Two glasses of water. And set them down on the table.

I hadn't planned on staying long.

His mouth was turned up; a silent ignorance to my answer.

"Erm… thanks. I'm not thirsty."

Ulterior motive? Or just being nice?

The chairman went on to ask, "Are you hungry then?"

"No." I answered, watching as Kaname pulled a small pack from his breast pocket. Without a word, he withdrew a small tablet, a circular white pill, and plopped it into the water. The pill started to dissolve, turning the water red. And when I looked back up, I saw him observing me too. Just more…uncaringly. I was, after all, just a human.

The Chairman returned to his desk, turned on the lamp beside it.

"What does that taste like?" I asked suddenly. A burst of new curiosity. It couldn't taste like blood; it was too transparent. A replica? A transparent illusion that helped the vampires get on with their lives, without the need for blood. It was almost like the students here. They lived their transparent lives, and the truth was just out of reach.

Ironic.

The chairman fell silent; Kaname glanced up from the glass, which he was now holding between his perfectly manicured fingers, twirling it, mixing the contents.

"I mean, does it just satisfy your hunger or something? It can't taste that great, can it?"

"Sacrifices had to be made to accommodate the human students here." He answered simply. "It will satisfy the hunger, for awhile."

"That sucks."

The chairman coughed, I turned to look at him, Kaname closed his eyes again, sipping from the cup, putting it back down, waiting.

"Annabelle," The Chairman said. "Will you think about it more? It would really help out the other prefects."

"I'll try. But I won't promise anything."

I turned back to Kaname, just staring, still curious. A pureblood? Seemed powerful. Obviously powerful. I didn't see any of the other vampire students sitting casually in the Chairman's office, waiting to speak with him privately.

Privately.

Right.

I stood up, cast my eyes to the door. "Kay, I'm leaving" I announced. I wanted another cigarette. "I'll… _think _about being a prefect. But I'm not really sure if it's the right thing for me. Vampires and I…" I glanced at Kaname. His eyes were open again, on me, just watching, observing. No threat. "Don't mix well. Although…if there were benefits to being a prefect…"

The Chairman absently scratched his cheek. I grinned. Maybe a little wickedly. Hey, if I could get special treatment, I may as well milk the situation. It would definitely give me more incentive to become a prefect.

"We try not to put our authority figures above our students." The chairman said lightly. A slight squirm. "It would be unfair."

I shrugged. "Whatever you say. Any who, I'm tired." Actually, I just wanted to escape. "Night."

Then I left. Just after another glance at the pureblood.

The Academy was dark, but familiar. I found my way to the bottom; my heart barely skipping a beat. It may be infested with vampires…but I was used to it. No matter how strange that sounded to me, it was actually a happy thing. It made me smile.

My dorm, however, was eerie and quiet. More uncomfortable then the Academy after dark. A sinister darkness in front of me as I moved through the halls, made it to my room.

Kohana was probably asleep.

I turned the knob and entered quietly. But she was awake, sitting on the bed, staring in front of her abstractedly. She must have heard me, her eyes turned, taking me in. It was a gaze I hadn't seen from her before. A protective, primal look. In these brown eyes, there definitely was a threat, a warning.

'Back off,' they seemed to say at me. 'or I'll tear you apart.'

I sat down, opposite her, stayed quiet. She was wearing a green nightgown, her hair was down, wavy from the braids, and her glasses were on the nightstand.

Awkwardly, I thought I'd start first.

"Hi…" I said. "It's like I haven't seen you in---"

"Save it."

I sealed my mouth closed.

She continued, her voice strangely apathetic. Almost like she had done this before, this silent war. Her eyes rose to my face, and she wasn't smiling. "We have to talk."

"I agree. I've been trying too--"

"No. _I _have to talk." She looked down at her lap. "I saw you…at the dance. How could you do that to me? You knew I liked him."

So I was right. It was about Ichijou.

"Look, it was nothing. Just a friendly--"

"I would have danced with him too. But you just had to take him first."

"What?" I couldn't believe what she was saying. It was ludicrous. "Seriously," I added desperately, "It was just a friendly dance. Nothing more. Besides, it's not like you were even going to ask him."

She glared at me then; darkly. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know what it means Kohana." I said, although I knew I was just screwing myself deeper into this pit. Kohana was going to hate me. It almost seemed inevitable. "You're too shy! You wouldn't have asked him. Stop blaming me for this!"

"You danced with him!" Her voice rose.

I quickly shushed her. Last thing we needed was the prefect to show up and lay out the law.

Her voice quieted, but it was still angry. "I trusted you! I can't believe you went behind my back and did something like that. I thought you were my friend!"

"I am your friend. There was nothing behind our dance."

"Don't give me that. I saw his smile!" She looked back down at her hands, fiddling with them. "I saw yours too…"

"Oh give me a break!" I complained. "You're putting this far beyond the truth here! It was just a friendly dance. That's it. I swear."

Her eyes flickered. She looked up beneath her eyelashes and whispered, in a voice like slate ice, "How can I believe someone that stole a car?"

I swayed back, stunned. Was she really saying this to me? Was she really not listening to anything I was trying to tell her? It seemed no matter how many times I tried, she shot down my attempt. She wouldn't let me explain.

Then she stood up, her hands clenched at her sides. I hadn't seen her so upset before. A stray thought entered me at this moment, of that blonde haired girl at the small party we had in this room --of when she warned me of Kohana's behaviour regarding Ichijou.

Was her obsession really that bad?

"Leave."

I blinked, looked up, shocked. "What?" I breathed.

"I want you to leave." She took in a deep breath. "Tomorrow I want you to get out of this dorm room. Permanently."

* * *

**I'm sorry guys, for not updating for like... two months. It's been a few troubling months, I can assure you. So I haven't been able to dish out my writing as frequently. Please forgive me! 3**


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